the Beast inside the Beauty
by DarkSigyn
Summary: This is a somewhat alternative storyline set a season two. All events up to episode 1x14 have also happened here. An ongoing novel with 21 planned chapters. As published on Tumblr. All characters of the shows are appearing, as well as new original characters. Adult content! [violence,sexuality,blood, trigger warning]. every chapter has a different rating.
1. Losing Sanity

• Chapter 1 • Losing Sanity • full chapter

It almost felt like being back to first base: crouching down on the rim of the rooftop trying to get a glimpse of her through the halfway shut curtains of her sleeping room. The only difference was that she knew now, which was why she stayed away from the windows. At least this was what it felt like. Catherine was absolutely sure that she was Vincent's weakness and putting him in danger. Ever since the last mutation had broken out and there had been no chance convince her that she hadn't been the reason. Still it didn't chance the fact that Muirfield was back on his track and staying away was the best for both of them, understandably. Yet the last months had proved the opposite. At least to him. Now being banished into the darkness again made him feel like being pushed into madness. Vincent knew that JT wouldn't understand and he wasn't asking him for is. After years of existing Catherine had giving him a reason to live. She had always been. And now as she tried to stay out of his sight she could have simply choked him instead.  
'Just one second', he silently pleaded and wished that he could turn back time to when she had walked right in to JT's apartment the reckless woman she had been. Vincent could remember how his heart had sped up seeing her that close again, just like that night when he had saved her and she had saved him.

Catherine didn't have to go there and look up, she knew that he was there. Being simply human she still could feel him around. And even if it scared her, for him, it also gave her a sense of safety she hadn't known since her mother had been killed and Vincent had saved her. And even though every instinct told her to go to that window to catch a glimpse of him, she didn't. She thought to much, like always. Simply because she knew that the moment she saw him, she couldn't stay away anymore. She knew that she would stand in front of him the next morning after a sleepless night. Not that she slept much for the last few weeks.  
Letting out a deep sigh that she regretted the very same moment because she knew that Vincent would probably hear it, Cat closed her eyes that felt like they were burning. It was because of the lack of sleep. Even though she hadn't really seen him for says it was him who kept her up. Still she was trying to figure out how to handle this - secretly hoping for a solution for him being able to still be in her life. Even Tess and Heather knew him briefly now. Also Evan who obviously hadn't been happy about it and didn't bother to hide that fact. Somehow that made her smile like a Teenager, even though there wasn't really a reason to smile.  
Cat turned around on her stool in the kitchen, eying the window that was halfway covered through the curtains. And her smile faded. She missed him. Knowing that he was close didn't help at all, not the slightest bit. it was like a splint constantly reminding here that something wasn't right.

Whatever it was - maybe her stubbornness - she didn't ease the pressure on his chest, didn't show herself and there was a time for him to be the reasonable one and try to distract himself from all of this - Muirfield or not. Vincent wasn't angry. He wasn't even sure if he felt anything as he turned around to head home. Home, a strange word to describe a place where she wasn't. He closed his eyes and moved his chin slightly, trying to remind himself not to go there.

Vincent didn't hear her any more and got up from the stool, moving towards the window, carefully gazing through the curtain only to find nothing on the roof top. It was the sharp ringing tone of her mobile phone that pierced into his ear like a scream, making him stop. It was in the middle of the night. This had to be important. Now, focusing back on her, he could hear her talk, interrogatively, asking for a location. There had been a murder and if she wanted it or not, he would be there- Vincent could tell by her heartbeat as he followed her movement out of her flat and down the stairs, that she was worried, that there had been something off. He gritted his teeth and turned around, knowing that he had to move fast to be at the crime scene on time with her. Being a cross-spieces didn't mean that he could outrace a car.

Catherine wasn't sure if Vincent had heard her phone call. Right now she was even doubting her own feeling of him being here all the time. She had to focus, concentrate on the case Tess and she just had got. Being on duty or not. The Captain must have had his reason to put them on this. Cat met her partner at the corner of the dead end street which already had been secured by the patrol.

She could see Evan further down, bending down over something that definitely was a corpse. "You already got a glimpse?" she asked her partner, who nodded grimly. "Yeah, not nice", she replied. "Whoever did this didn't want to win a golden scalpel." Cat furrowed her brows and Tess shrugged. "Ripped the guy almost into pieces. Seems like an animal attack." Cat swallowed dryly. "An animal attack", she repeated and asked almost jokingly. "Here? Have they already called the Zoo and animal shelter?" Tess crooked one brow herself, puzzled about her partner trying to be funny. "Look", she replied. "Evan already told me that he doesn't think that this was some sort of animal…" - "…The killer obviously set this up", Evan said, still walking up to the two detectives. "He used Tekko-kagi's to make it look like the victim had been mauled by claws." "Tekko-kagi's?" Tess tried to recreate the sound Evan just had made. "Claw-like weapon Ninja used. They put them on their hands", Evan described.

Vincent listened closely to Evan's description and even though he didn't know this weapon he could imagine it perfectly. Someone had been killed and his bod had been used to make it look like an animal attack. Still Evan seemed to be positive about the fact that whoever did this didn't bother to hide that there had been a weapon used and no real claws. Vincent clenched his jaw, feeling confident that this was a message. A message for him. From Muirfield.

And this was the exact same thought Catherine had listening to Evan's description of the injuries and position of the body and something told her that this had something to do with Vincent and Muirfield. She tried to not show her worries and not to look up, even though the urge to do so was almost unbearable. Literally she could feel him there with her. Yet again a wave of guilt washed over her, telling her that it was her fault that they were here threatening Vincent again. Her mother's fault. Their fault. Cat could sense Tess skeptical look on her ans she released her hands which had been clenching into fists. "So what do you think?" Cat asked her and also Vincent, knowing that he would hear her. "Some ritual murder? Or some sort of gladiator fight?" These suggestions were for Tess only now and it made her feel sick, lying to her friend again. Cat looked at Evan. "It doesn't look like a fight", he answered sternly, without that smug expression of his. "It rather was an execution." - "With these Gekkoki's?" Tess asked. "Tekko-kagi's", Evan corrected. Catherine wasn't able to chuckle about this. "And yes", he looked at her directly as if he knew that she knew something, just waiting for her to spill it out. As if she would tell everything about Vincent, that black ops project, his mutation like over a cup of coffee. She sighed deeply and asked instead. "So Yakuza?"

"You are kidding, right?" Tess almost shouted disbelievingly and Cat faked a grin, before she addressed Evan again: "So you say that this man was executed with a ninja weapon." He nodded. "And the killer didn't care much for covering that up. I doubt that he wanted to fake an animal attack. I mean, Tess, Cat is right", Evan continued, still stern. "Maybe the killer believes he's a ninja." Catherine nodded and somehow she felt relieved. This might not be about Vincent after all.

Hearing her calming down made Vincent relax himself. Being on the edge all the time was straining, and even though he managed to keep the beast in check and had trained to gain control even when changed, he felt like something wasn't right. Something he couldn't put in words. He wasn't even able to tell JT about it. Something was scratching inside of him, like the urge to give in to an unknown addiction. Whenever he could see her, it seemed to get better and it wasn't only because he cared a lot more for her than he probably should.

However, even though Catherine and her colleges might think that this was some new age ninja, Vincent wasn't really sure about it. He could hear that Evan would examine the injuries of more closely but still was convinced that he would come to the same conclusion as before. "No ID," Tess stated as she and Cat both stopped to look at the victim. "That looks like a designer suit." - "It is", Evan agreed and there was that smug smirk before he became stern again and uncovered the man's face. "Neat haircut and all."

Vincent wasn't in the right position to see the victim's face and he didn't really care to do so. His focus was on Catherine who hadn't taken any anonymous calls since she had decided for the both of them again, being the reasonable one. He tried to figure out a way and moment when he could pull her into the shadow and talk to her. Hopefully she would leave the crime scene on her own and her colleagues wouldn't cling to her like moths to a flare like they had started to the last few days.

Ever since the last time he had fumed out again, Vincent had been practicing, trying to control the beast inside him. Somehow it seemed to be a better way controlling the beast if he allowed it to break out now and then. Still he felt like being on edge all the time, like something was scratching inside his head an urge to give in to something he had no clue about. Being around Catherine seemed to numb this agonizing drive and it wasn't just because Vincent felt like he had to protect her, because he did care much more for her than for her than was healthy for him. He hadn't spoken to JT about is, being afraid he would misunderstand, but Vincent knew that his friend sooner or later would sense that something wasn't wrong, if he hadn't already.

The movements beneath him ripped Vincent out of his thoughts and his eyes stopped on the victim's face. He froze. And stared. Awareness crept onto his face like the night onto the sky when the sun set. He could hear his own heart speeding up as he recognized that man.

"See you first thing in the morning!" Tess shouted after her and Cat just waved with one arm, feeling even more worn than the last days. She hadn't slept much and she missed Vincent. Again she had to tell herself that this was the best for both of them. When Muirfield was here, Vincent and she would put themselves in danger. Yet the memory of the time when all of this had begun and made her smile as she headed towards her car, remembering that one time he had pulled her into a dark corner to talk to her. And just like that, it happened again, as a hand darted out of the darkness, crabbing the collar of her leather jacket, making her trip and fall from the dim light into the shadow.

Cat gasped as she lost balance and fell against something warm but firm. Instinctively she pulled in the air and this much too familiar scent. Vincent made no effort to push her back onto her feet and for a moment she didn't think of it either, until she straightened up and opened her mouth to say something, but Vincent lifted hand made her stop. She tried to listen into the night, hoping to hear whatever he was hearing. Had someone followed her? Nothing.  
There had been steps, but Vincent couldn't tell any more if they really had been closing in on her, or if his mind messed with him again. It really didn't matter though, since here she was again: Catherine, standing that close, her heartbeat slightly elevated, like always when she was close to him. How was it possible that she smelled even better than in his memory? Still he had his hand on her collar and he had to order his fingers to open up and let her go, while he looked into her eyes and she was looking back.

"We said", Catherine started after another second. - "We said nothing", Vincent stopped her. "You decided." Still looking into her eyes he wasn't touching her any more, but she was just e few inches away, close enough so that he could feel the heat of her body radiating onto his.

Catherine looked at him for a moment, knowing that he was right. Even though she felt so utterly tired, somehow she wasn't worn out any more. Yet she fought against the urge to lean against him, thinking that she hadn't any right to after telling him that they shouldn't see each other. She frowned. "The victim", she figured, realizing the restlessness in Vincent eyes.  
He nodded in agreement and clenched his jaw, placing his hands into the pockets of his jacket to prevent him touching her. "I know him", he said eventually, making Cat stepping back in surprise. "You know him?" Instinctively he grabbed her arm despite his efforts to restrain himself and pulled her back into the shadow and towards him. "Yes", he said lowly, reminding her to do so as well. "From Muirfield. He was one of the scientists. he knew your mother. He knew the project. He was in Afghanistan as well." - "But why would he be killed that easily? Why wasn't he killed like … my mother?" Catherine frowned and stared to the ground, trying to make sense of this. "Why would Muirfield keep him alive in the first place to kill him now", Vincent asked instead, making her look into his eyes again. "The project…."

Vincent nodded almost grimly, not liking at all where this was going, what this might mean. "I know what I heard", he said hoarsely. "That they were shutting down the project." As he clenched his jaw Catherine looked at him worried and sympathetic as she spoke out what he obviously was thinking. "But that doesn't mean that this was the only one."

There's no reason or proof that they had other project of that kind." - "or a new one", Catherine went long with his strain of thought. "But why kill him?" - "Evan said he was killed be forged claws?" Vincent asked rhetorically, still she nodded anyhow. "Why would Muirfield kill off an asset like that?" - "This was an execution", Catherine said. "An open one. It looks much more like a message. I thought it was for you at first."  
Vincent agreed. "Me too, until I saw his face. I have no idea how his name is though, he never spoke to us. It was more like he was monitoring the other doctor's work. Your mother's work." Again he looked at her, knowing that no matter how reasonable Catherine was, talking about her mother and what she had done, what secrets she had had, it affected her every time.  
She swallowed dryly and avoided to look at him directly, feeling her eyes burn a bit. They had known each other for some time now and it was absolutely stupid of her to react like that in front of him. From all the people in the world he knew most about the second life of her Mum, but still it reminded her that all of this was her mother's fault.

"Maybe I find something about him in my mother's papers", Catherine finally spoke again after taking a deep breath that reminded her how tired she was. Somehow it was hard to keep her eyes open. She sighed. "I should … get home."  
Vincent frowned. "How much have you slept the last nights?" - "Barely", she replied honestly and without thinking about it.

"Okay, I'm driving you home then", Vincent decided and grabbed her other shoulder as well, turning her around to walk towards her car. "Resistance is futile." - "You know that phrase?" she mocked him with her eyes halfway closed, walking shakily that Vincent eventually placed one arm around her. "Hey I may hide behind the mood but there's still television." Catherine chuckled, leaning against him before she was aware about what she was doing.  
Vincent's heart made a jump as he felt her head against his shoulders and his smirk grew into a smile. And for a second the world was perfect. For a second they were absolutely normal. They arrived at her car and she already had the key in her hands, handing them over to him with her eyes closed. "Are you bailing out on me?" Vincent teased softly, opening the door for her and earned nothing but a sleepy smile in exchange as she sat down. The sight make him forget about the fact how much she seemed to trust him.  
After shutting the door Vincent froze for a second, turning around. There was that sound again. He was sure of it. And the perfect world vanished into darkness. He listened into the night, but the sound was gone. Frowningly he moved around the car, playing with the keys in his hands, while still looking around. Nothing. He got inside, starting the engine and the lens of the night sensing equipment that had been following them the whole time zoomed out.

Catherine had fallen asleep the second Vincent had started the engine and he did his best to not be distracted by the peaceful expression of her face.

When they arrived at her home he didn't even try to wake her up, since her breaths already were so deep that he didn't want to disturb the rest she obviously needed. Somewhere locked inside his mind he knew that this was just an excuse for him to be with her a little longer, and to hold her in his arms as he carried her up the stairs, all the while telling himself that it was too late to run into anyone. There was something he had missed.  
After he had opened the door and it behind them again, he turned back around to head for Catherine's chamber. Thinking that he probably could count the times he had used the front door with both of his hands, suddenly someone stood in front of him. "Heather", he said automatically, as she stared at him sleepy, with chaotic hair and pink PJs. "Uhm…. hi", she scratched the back of her head. "Oh, you're that private investigator. Vincent was it, right?"  
Vincent told himself to smile and nod and not to show his relief about the fact that Catherine's sister wasn't suspicious about him carrying her. "Yeah, … uhm … she was too tired to sleep." - "Obviously", Heather murmured and passed him to get to the fridge. - "I'll take her to bed". - "Yeah."  
For a second he didn't dare to move until he was cure that there wasn't any screaming or yelling or calling the police. So he walked carefully towards Cat's room, closing the door behind them

Vincent didn't need to put the lights on, since he could see perfectly well in this almost darkness. He leaned against the door, listening into the flat, just to hear Heather walk back into her room, after shutting the fridge. She drank something on her way back and fell onto her bed.

Gently he placed Catherine onto her sheets and paced not knowing what to to next. He couldn't undress her, that would be … inadequate. Just after this thought had formed inside his head, Vincent got distracted by Catherine sleeping. He had no idea for how long he had glanced down at her and watched. Somehow this made him forget everything.  
Eventually he decided to at least take her shoes off and place a blanket over her. As he did so, Catherine moved onto her side, forcing him to lean across her, so that he could tuck her in. And just when he had covered her wrists, she suddenly grabbed for the fabric taking his hand with it. Vincent froze for a second, looking down on her as he knelt on her bed. He frowned slightly as he tried to pull his hand out of her grip - maybe not really willing to free himself. Again he got distracted by her, even more as he sighed inaudibly, inhaling her scent. It seemed to cloud his mind.

The buzzing sound of vibration made his eyes fly open and Vincent instinctively reached for the phone in his pocket, as he realized that he wasn't home and froze.

It took him another second to look down and see that Catherine had snuggled up to his chest, still sleeping, breathing evenly. He blinked, before he quickly got to his phone, and took the call, whispering as loud as he dared to.  
"JT I'm fine. Call you back." hanging up, while watching Catherine all the time. He couldn't believe that he had fallen asleep. Skeptically he stared at the clock on his mobile phone: Sun 5:37 am. Four hours. Like a stone.  
Carefully he wanted to move away from her, only to notice that she had dug her fingers into his shirt and moved along with him, making happy sounds in her sleep, leaving Vincent completely helpless and confused on his side, with Catherine snuggling to his chest. He lay completely still for some moments, trying to figure out how to get away, or rather gather the bravery to do so, even though he didn't want to leave at all.  
"Vincent." she whispered and made him wince. he shouldn't be here in the first place. How should he explain it to her without sounding creepy? "Catherine", he whispered lowly. "I … uh…" But she didn't say a word, didn't move. In fact her eyes were still closed. Vincent made sure of it by brushing a strain of hair off her cheek.

_I really could get used to this_, Vincent thought to himself. Yes, I should definitely go, like 4 hours ago. Because it's the right thing to do.

He inhaled deeply and softly took Catherine's hand, to loosen her grip from his shirt, moving as carefully as he could for not to wake her. Looking down onto her while trying to move, Vincent witnessed how she slowly opened her eyes, and somewhat recognizing him, barely being awake. His heart jumped.  
"Vincent?" she murmured blearily, tightening her fingers around his hand instinctively and somehow he figured that she wasn't really aware of the situation, possibly even thinking that she was dreaming. His heart sped up once more and he held still - maybe she would fall asleep again - giving him a chance to figure out an explanation the next time they meet. Her sigh made him freeze and he looked into her glassy eyes as she smiled at him.  
"Hey", she whispered and he instinctively replied: "Hey." feeling completely stupid. Catherine was being completely ignorant and moved closer up, letting go of his hand to place her palm onto his jaw and cheek. Vincent couldn't help himself but marvel at her. How she managed to completely paralyze him, make him weak by one single touch was a question that never managed to form itself completely in his mind. He closed his eyes like he always tended to do, feeling her skin against hers, almost not sensing how she moved closer again. Vincent simple felt her warmth sneaking up to him and how his heart started racing like he was running.

Vincent tried to keep calm and by closing his eyes, it seemed to work, even though his hand moved by itself to Catherine's back as she came close, so close that she could feel her heat against his face. He couldn't help but open his eyes.

Her face was nothing but a few inches away from his and his heart started aching in his chest. Still Vincent didn't move, even if he wanted to. Looking into Catherine's eyes was everything he could do. She was still more asleep than awake, that was obvious: her flushed cheeks the foggy gaze and still she now almost pressed herself against him, her eyes pacing between his and his lips.  
Vincent wanted to tell her that she wasn't dreaming, not wanting her to get into a situation that she didn't want to be. But when he finally managed to open his mouth, she stopped him from speaking with her lips. Soft, warm. The world went dim and numb as he shut his eyes. Hearts racing. There was no air. No room for it. His pulse echoes in his ears like hers. Vincent never had even dared to think of this and he knew that his imagination would have failed reality by far.  
All of the sudden the moment was gone and he opened his eyes in confusion, realizing that Catherine was fully awake and aware now. He could hear her heart race, still could taste her lips on his. Fiercely trying to stay calm he looked at her in worry, as she avoided his eyes, trying to sort her mind and moved backwards, taking her hand from his face, eventually supporting herself on one arm. The air felt so much colder now.  
Catherine had thought that she had been dreaming, just to realize that she wasn't. This was real. Her eyes wandered back to Vincent's looking at her helplessly and worried.

"I should go", Vincent managed to say after a moment of awkward silence and as he moved there was something warm on his chest, making him look down to Catherine's hand. Questioning he searched the answer in her eyes.

"You don't need to. I just…", she was trying to find an explanation or an apology, being oblivious how her fingers dug into the fabric of his shirt, since she blushed. "I thought…" Vincent could hear her heart racing in her chest, already knowing what she wanted to say, but nit being sure about if if he was allowed to smile. Was it so bad that she hadn't? That question made him frown slightly and hey gaze wandered off.  
As Vincent sensed her moving, he didn't, expecting her to bring more space between them. Instead he could feel the warmth of her hand next to his scarred cheek, before she trailed her finger along the slash. Placing her palm on it eventually, Catherine made him look at her and he tried not to clench his jaw or tense up. Suddenly she moved faster, brushing her fingers to the back of his head into his hair, as she brought her lips back in his and herself back to his chest. Vincent was taken by surprise, instinctively wrapping his arm around her, inhaling deeply as she kissed him, pushing him on his back.  
This time she didn't stop, didn't pull back, gently moving her lips against his. Right now Catherine didn't care. She had tasted the reality and her embarrassment wasn't strong enough to prevent her from doing so again. Her lips formed a smile as she kissed once more, being ignorant of the fast that Vincent's heart was beating much faster now and the slight shiver that ran through his body, as she pressed hers against it. His muscles tensed and with one single push he brought space between them. "I really should go", he insisted huskily.

Vincent moved off the bed quickly, walking backwards to the window, leaving Catherine entirely confused and doubting what she had done wrong.

"Are you okay?", she asked worried, as she noticed that he was avoiding to look at her, his hair covering his eyes, and a cold wave of inkling washed through her veins. "I'm okay", he replied hoarsely, still not looking at her and opened the the window to climb out of it. "You should shut that behind me." And with that he was out of her sight.  
Catherine sat up frowningly and rubbed her eyes before she locked at her alarm clock. Suddenly something caught her attention. There was a small rip in her new sheet and the hunch she had had grew clearer.  
When he had reached the roof Vincent took the chance to breathe in deeply, his eyes staring yellowy into the night sky. Trying to calm down he frowned, forcing himself to thing about the dead scientist. He gritted his teeth, clenched his jaw, tensed as his body seemed to have a mind on his own, trying to turn around, turn back. Still breathing heavily his thoughts were with Catherine again, her scent and the way she had tasted. Her soft lips, her breath on his skin, hand in his hair, pressing herself against him so needy. Vincent exhaled sharply through his teeth, that were a little to pointy. So much for never allowing him to go there. Maybe if she hadn't surprised him… but who was he kidding? And it had been nothing more than a kiss. With an explosion of his muscles he started running.

Vincent was covered in rain and sweat as he arrived at the loft. Marching in he passed JT who stood there in disbelief, his arms spread from his body with palms up waiting for an explanation. "Where the hell have you been?" he asked, his face reflecting his worry and weariness. "Not now JT", Vincent growled, pulling off his jacket.

"Fine", his best friend threw up his arms and sighed. "I'll go to bed then." But he already had disappeared into the shower. Vincent had been running all the way, but it hadn't helped. The rain hadn't done it's work either and he didn't really hoped that the icy shower would manage to cool him off. With the new serum, with him training to control the beast he hadn't expected to be thrown backwards like that. Catherine had always been his anchor, always been the one to calm him down, to bring him back and with a simple, absolutely normal human gesture she had become the complete opposite. So much for JT's thought about not suppressing emotions. His entire body tensed once more, but the cold shower numbed it all down a little. At least a little.

Catherine couldn't fall back to sleep. Not now, not after that. She still could taste Vincent on her lips. With a sigh she got up and changed her clothes. It hadn't really been how she had imagined it, but honestly: it never turned out like that. Still she didn't regret kissing him, only the fact that he felt the need to leave and that was her fault. She had taken him by surprise. Hell, she had taken herself by surprise. Opening her door to get something to drink out of the kitchen, she didn't turn the lights on. Standing there with bare feet, she realized that Vincent must have had carried her all the way up and gotten through the front door. All the risk because of her. She pulled at her hair. This was insane. There was no way from staying away from him. by doing so she would put him in danger, not the other way around.

Catherine sighed and turned around after taking another sip of water from her glass. This already was far beyond complicated; if it ever had been that easy anyway. She would have to talk to Vincent first thing in the morning - even before calling Tess.

It was completely quiet when Vincent got out of the shower. He really hadn't been tracking the time since he got in, but he figured that he might be able to sleep now. Yet again something made him frown, as if something wasn't right. He turned around. Nothing. He was losing sanity. That was for sure. Dropping his head, Vincent rubbed his eyes and headed towards his bed.

Catherine got back to her room in her PJs. She really had to catch up some sleep and the fact that Vincent had slept next to her, made her smile, even more as she thought that her sheets might even still smell of him. There was a strange sound coming from her room. She wasn't imagining it, was she? Instinctively she reached out for her gun, which she wasn't wearing of course. Her jaw tensed: it was either in her car, or in her room. Her heart sped up and she slowly moved forward. It was still again, but she was sure that she had heard something and it wasn't coming from her sister's chamber.

Vincent had dropped on his bed, onto his chest and had dug his face into his pillow, as he instinctively jumped up. There had been a sound, hadn't there? Why wasn't the alarm going then? Had he forgotten to turn it on again? Quickly he moved back to the door. The system was activated. JT must have done so as he had gone to bed. But still he knew that something was wrong. "Catherine", he said.

As she slowly shoved her door open , her room was empty, but she looked to the still opened window, which she had forgotten to shut. The wind was blowing and her badge had fallen from the table next to it. With a sigh she walked in to close the window, as suddenly everything went dark.


	2. A Dance With The Devil

† Chapter 2 † A Dance With the Devil † full chapter

There had been no doubt about it and no reason to hesitate. Vincent had thrown over some clothes and taken JTs car, just to stand in Catherine's empty room. Since the window had been unlocked.

The flat was quiet and Heather most definitely sleeping. Vincent could tell that by her deep and even breaths. There was no evidence that something was wrong here. Catherine simply could have gone to work for the new case that somehow was related to him. The bed still was unmade, badge and gun missing, the little tear in the sheet where he had been laying. Still Vincent knew that something was wrong. He clenched his hands into fists as he stared down to the point on the floor where Catherine's glass had fallen down. There were no shards, there wasn't even a puddle, but Vincent still could smell the slight wetness. She had been taken. Helplessly he turned around, searching for any hint, that might be helpful. She had forgotten to close the window. For Vincent there weren't many options left. he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.

She had been blindfolded and her wrist were confident to something above her head. Somehow Cathrine felt like she had been crucified, yet her legs were free, only for her feet to barely touch the ground. She had to stand on her tiptoes to keep her shoulders from getting sore. Frowningly she couldn't remember when she had put on some shoes. It must have been whoever had taken her. At least she wasn't gagged, but somehow she knew that if she started yelling - which most certainly would be a lost cause - that could be changed quickly. "Who are you?" she demanded lowly. "Why did you take me? If you let me go now I will make sure that it will be considered by the court."

"Nice to meet you as well, Miss Chandler", a male voice with a wicked edge in its sound answered. He was a few feet away, but no chance hitting him by pulling up herself and swinging. She possibly would be to slow anyway, plus: he was moving around, circling her. Somehow Catherine had to think of an hyena.

"Can I call you Catherine?" her captor asked, now standing opposite to the point he first had spoken. She kept quiet. "Or do you prefer Cat? I can't quite tell, since all your friends and family calls you the latter." - was there a slight British Accent? ."But your mother and Vincent prefer Catherine. Do you think that is why he doesn't call you by your nickname?" of course this was about Vincent AND her mother, why should it be anything else? Somehow she knew denying would make her position worse, so she remained silent, hoping for the man to continue. But he didn't. He had stopped walking, waiting for her to join the conversation.  
"You knew my mother", Catherine didn't ask, it was a statement.  
"Yes, Catherine, I did, very well if I may add", there was a hint of arrogance in his voice and he continued talking, while she was trying to see a resemblance to the time Muirfield took her, but her gut told her there was barely any. "She was a brilliant scientist, extremely observant and thorough. That was why I wanted her for the project."  
Cat winced. He had hooked her. "You chose her? You recruited her?!" she spoke louder than she had wanted to, but anger was riding her voice. This man was responsible for her mother's death, for Vincent's situation.

Vincent had followed them down to the street. There had been fibers on the fire escape, where they had affixed their roped to get down onto the ground. One of them had taken the ladder, jumped off the last feet.

The scent was already fading and Vincent turned a full circle to find out where they had went. A small group, four men, maybe even military. He would call for it: Muirfield. Yet that wasn't important. They had tried to mix up their scents, to cover Catherine's and they were good at it. Obviously they had known that he would come for her. Most certainly they hadn't expect him to arrive that early. There was no unusual sound. Holding on to Catherine's scent he moved into the direction where he smelled it. Running.

"Your mother was one of my finest students. She asked for it. She begged me to be part of my research", the man had stopped again and stepped closer to her. Catherine obviously had hit a sore spot. She frowned.  
"You got her killed", she replenished.  
"Yes", was the simple answer that surprised her. "And I will regret it for the rest of my life that I underestimated her sense of compassion to such an extent. But that was one of the reasons I wanted her to be a part of it. The subjects would trust her and they did. And your mother had such a sensible sense for them. I never had expected for her to be killed after bringing her home. But I feared that her quitting Muirfield was the trigger."  
Catherine swallowed down her tears and focused on getting information.  
"Would you mind taking care of that blindfold?" she asked.  
"I'm sorry, but I don't want you to recognize me", he started walking again. "See I plan on setting you free. Vincent will not find you. As exceptional as he is, even he has his limits. And he can't go to the police, can he?"

Vincent knew that he had to be careful, however he kept running after her scent, to a major,strongly lightened street, where he hit the breaks, stepping back into the darkness slowly.

There was already enough traffic that he couldn't walk around with his nose up, sniffing around like a dog. And probably they had taken a car. Now he had to find out in which direction they had been headed. A gush of air hit him from across the street and Vincent didn't hesitate to get to the other side. Had they continued to go per foot? He frowned. Still Catherine's scent was strong and grew stronger. The best hideout is the one closest to the enemy. hiding in plain sight. Hoping that Catherine's kidnapper followed that rule he walked into the small side street. Following the trail.

"You know, Catherine", her captor spoke confidently. "I have created him. I am aware of his strengths and weaknesses."

The scent was much closer now, but Vincent couldn't make out any doors, so he kept looking for a drop or a secret entrance.

"Muirfield made the mistake to treat him either as a human, or an animal", the man stopped in front of her again. "I know that I have to treat him as both. And that exactly is his weakness."

There was nothing down, so maybe they wend up again? Vincent looked at the fire escape that was relatively high, but nothing he could manage.

"He doesn't trust the animal inside him, does he?"

Vincent got ready for his jump as something caught his eye. Stepping toward the waste container, he slightly tilted his head before he grabbed the corner of something light. A pillowslip. Catherine's scent all over it.

"Do you want to speak with him and tell him you are okay?" the man asked Catherine, whose arms and legs became tired. "Allow me", he added and a sound of chains moving echoed through the room, or rather hall - she figured. However the pull on her arms lessened and she could stand on her feet.

Vincent stared at the pillowslip in his hands. His mind was blank. The had set a false track. How couldn't he have seen this? Muirfield knew what he was capable of and minded it. How could he be so stupid? Why hadn't he be more thoughtful? A shiver ran through his body and his muscles tensed. Baling his hands into fists, with the fabric still in his hands, he tried to calm himself down, to stop him from panicking and the blazing wrath inside him. Glaring at the piece of cloth in his hand his eyes turned golden as his body seemed to deform. He had failed her. They had taken her. Because of him. Again.

"We wouldn't want him to lose it, would we?" Catherine's captor asked, still standing in front of her as if he was waiting for an answer once more. She shivered, thinking what Vincent might be going through when he had found out. He hadn't left in his best shape earlier. Then she could hear the man speed dial on his mobile. It didn't sound like her's and she hadn't Vincent's number, so whose phone was he calling? She could feel that he held the device to her ear and she waited, quietly praying that Vincent hadn't noticed she had been taken.  
"Please be okay", Cat heard herself murmur.

A buzzing sound reached Vincent's ear, right in front of him. Breathing heavily, his muscles stopped shivering. He opened the pillowslip to find a mobile phone in it. It was Catherine's. Why hadn't he noticed the additional weight? He gritted his teeth and took it in his hand, looking at the display: anonymous caller.

Her heart was beating fast, aching inside her chest. What if this wasn't the right number? What if he didn't get the phone? Didn't hear it? Didn't take the call because it wasn't his phone.  
"Please just let me go", she whispered, to gasp as the call was taken. "Vincent?"

He froze as he recognized Catherine's worried voice, his breathing still fast and shallow. "Catherine", he managed to bring out, holding her phone carefully, afraid to break it due to his own tension.

"I'm okay", she responded, hearing by his voice that he wasn't fine at all. "Do you read me? I'm okay. I…" Her captor pulled away the phone and everything went silent. Catherine fought against her bonds, anger rising up.  
"How could you!" she hissed, trying to reach for her blindfold, ending up in getting her hands pulled up again.  
"He knows you are fine", he man said lowly in a most earnest tone, standing directly next to her, radiating warmth and Old Spice onto her, and proving that he wasn't the only other person in this room, or hall.  
Catherine held perfectly still until he moved away again.  
"That was unnecessary", she said huskily. "And the very reverse of the reason …" - "Exactly", he broke her off. "I am making sure that he fails finding you. I am the one in control. He isn't, Miss Chandler. You aren't."

"I'm okay …. Do you read me? I'm okay. I…" Catherine's voice. Worried but relieved. Vincent could feel how he calmed down just to be cut off, her being ripped away from her again. Pulling the phone from his ear he stared on the display. The call was ended from the other end of the line. She was okay, for now. He fought the urge to smash the phone against the wall, as the rage washed all over him again.

Catherine held still. She couldn't believe that this was happening. The sound of his voice was echoing in her mind: deep, scratchy, hoarse. he had known. That's what he sounded like when he was becoming … the beast. Trying to fight her tears she held completely still, didn't focus in her surroundings, her captor, or whoever was there with them. Vincent was in danger because of her, he was losing it, because of her, and she couldn't be there to calm him down. Swallowing dryly, she tried to focus, took a deep breath. He couldn't call the cops, that was her mother's mentor said. Could he?

Vincent frowned as he stared on Catherine's phone. All her numbers where in there. He couldn't call anyone, but still she could, couldn't she? Hesitantly he pushed one of the buttons. Of course it was key locked and he really had any idea what her code might be. It was dawning. He had to get back inside, to JT's car. His only and best friend would be furious, until Vincent would tell him. Suddenly the phone in his hand buzzed again and he almost dropped it, appalled, taking the call without noticing the name on the display. "Catherine?" he asked, sounding still husky, worried.  
"Wo-ha, who are you?" Tess demanded to know. "That's Cat's phone."

Catherine's arms started to feel sore again. This guy wanted to show that he was in charge. Obviously he was used to it, used to giving orders. Which one did he give in Afghanistan? Somehow it was a relief that her mother hadn't been the one to make the calls, but n the other hand, that this guy had been her boss, her mentor….

"So you telling me that you want to set me free was a lie too?" Catherine fought for her own calmness now. She had to get out of here, and find Vincent.  
"No, Catherine", her captor said more friendly now. "This I will do."  
"So, what do you want from me, Mr… ?" she tried to sound calm, but her voice was betraying her.  
"Ah-ah, no names", the man chuckled. "But if you need to call me anything, call me Doctor, or Professor, since I am both. I doubt you can do anything with that information. My files are sealed. You can go back and search for a professor at your mother's university that might be me, but believe me, you will not find anything, so do not waste your time."  
"Professor," Catherine exhaled, swallowing down her annoyance. "Would you please be so kind and tell me why I am here?"  
"I see you have your mother's spirit"; her anger seemed to amuse him At least he stopped close to her now, seemingly to finally tell her why she was here. Catherine despised the fact that she was blindfolded. And somehow she feared his answer. Something told her that this wasn't just about telling who was in charge.

"Tess", Vincent managed to bring out after digesting the shock about his own stupidity taking a call from Catherine's phone, asking himself if this what Muirfield wanted: to make it impossible for him to hide.

"Jackpot", Catherine's partner answered slightly annoyed. "Who is this? Why are you answering Cat's phone? … At this time? … oh. Am I interrupting something?"  
Vincent's eyes widened a little, realizing what Tess was implying there. Stepping from one foot to the other, he searched for the right words. Just an hour earlier she would have. Nothing serious though, at least in her eyes, he figured.  
"Well… no", he replied, and paused, eventually making a decision. "Catherine's in trouble. She needs your help. Get over to her flat. take someone from evidence with you. There are fibers at the fire escape." Saying so he realized that there might be his prints as well.  
"Woa, wait a second", Tess felt like being run over. "What…?"  
"Someone kidnapped her. It's about the case. Be careful", Vincent cut her off and hung up. His heart was still racing, as he stared at the phone and the pillowslip in his hands. For a moment he thought of placing back the cloth, unfortunately there was now his DNA on it. He exhaled, angry about himself, as he stuffed it into his pocket. The phone buzzed again, making him flinch. A glance at the display told him that it was Tess again.  
"Talking to me won't help her", Vincent said huskily.  
"We're on our way", he could hear Tess walking quickly, heels on a hard ground, echoing. She was in a corridor. "Who are you? Why do you have Cat's phone?"  
Vincent took her involuntarily advice and headed back to JT's car.  
"A friend", he replied after a moment of thinking. "She was taken about 30 minutes ago. A squad team. Four men. Possibly military. That's all I could figure out."  
"How do you know?" Tess asked.  
"Find her, Tess", Vincent almost pleaded.  
"You said it was about the case?" A good cop didn't give up that easily. "  
"He's possibly connected to her mother", he replied. "Find her."

Catherine had no witty response to the fact that the Professor avoided her question. She got it, he was dictating the pace and speed of their conversation.  
"I wonder if you avoided my mother's questions as well", she heard herself speak sourly.

"Telling her solely what she needed to know was my way of keeping her out of the crossfire, Catherine", her mother's mentor replied earnestly and stepped close enough that she felt his warmth radiating onto her freezing body.  
A stinging pain in the crook of her left arm made her wince. A needle.  
"W..what are you doing?" she stammered, a wave of fear running through her body.  
"Showing you why you are here", was the almost murmured answer, as if he was sunken into his work. "Taking a blood sample."  
"What? Why?" a shiver ran down her spine. "I'm not …"  
"Part of the project?" he ended her sentence questioningly, turning his head to hers. "Depends on which project you are referring to."  
"Get off of me", Cat exhaled through her teeth, horrified.  
"There there", the Professor said consolatory, pulling out the needle and brushing a piece of cloth across the injury. She could feel how he put a band aid in the spot.  
"W… what do you need my blood for?" she asked, swallowing dryly.  
"Obviously Vincent has a trait of being very protective to your family, regarding your mother and you…" It sounded like he was talking rather to himself as he moved away, probably to put the blood sample he had taken form her somewhere.  
"Don't you tell me it's because of what you've done to him!" she blurted out, as fear was replaced with anger.  
"So it is really not guilt why you associate with him", her captor seemed to be pleased. She felt his eyes on her and it made her shudder.  
"Let her down, chain her up, and give her some blankets and some tee or coffee", the Professor was ordering as he walked away from her. "I'm not finished yet."  
Catherine felt cold.  
"What do you want from me!" Catherine shouted at him.

Vincent hadn't been sure if he should have stayed at Catherine's apartment, just to monitor if Tess and the policemen would get it right. Of course the more reasonable decision would have been to leave, to get back to JT, returning his car. But right now Vincent couldn't act sane and a part from him knew that this was exactly what Muirfield wanted.

Lying at the rim of the opposite house, he watched then examine the fire escape, somehow relieved that they didn't go for prints, for whatever reason. Possibly because the material was too rough for it. But Vincent couldn't relax at bit because Tess and Heather were speaking to each other. Trying to focus on their voices, he had to close his eyes, to shut out the visual distractions.  
"So what was his name again?" Catherine's partner asked her sister.  
"Vincent", Heather nodded. "Look, I'm pretty sure he wasn't involved. He was carrying her inside. Cat was asleep. If he would have wanted to take her, why would he bring her home?"  
"Vincent….", that sounded much too ruminative as she took her noted, looking up to Heather again, she said calmly. "I didn't say that, Heather. He's just the last person to see Cat and I guess that it was him, I talked to."  
"You talked to him?" that sound went a little too high to be just surprise. "6.2? Brown hair? Brown eyes? A scar across the right side of his face? That's him. And he looks stunning. I really don't mind the scar. Too bad that he's so into Cat." heather exhaled and Vincent opened his eyes again.  
"Okay, we might make a sketch later", Tess turned around and rolled her eyes slightly. That was his signal to leave.

There was no response, no reaction. She could hear how a door fell into its lock and then someone else approached her, opening her bonds. Finally released. Catherine's knees gave in and she slumped onto the ground.

As she reached up for her blindfold she could hear the snapping sound of releasing a safety catch. She stopped her movement. So it were at least two who were watching her now. Someone dropped a blanket around her shoulders. It was so much warmer than her skin and she began to shiver. Catherine flinched as a gloved hand caught hers only to place a warm cup of damping fluid in her hands. It smelled like tea. They didn't speak to each other, at least not with their voices. Military, or at least trained men. Trying to gather information was the one thing to keep her sane and to stop worrying about Vincent. It worked only for the first task.

As Vincent arrived home, JT was gone. Next to the phone he had forgotten to take with him was lying a note.:'Thanks for taking my car, what the hell is going on?' He dropped the letter along with the keys on the table and sighed heavily rubbing his face with his hands.  
Then the phone buzzed again and he barely gave the display a look before he took the call, letting himself fall into the chair.  
"Cat didn't tell me she was working with an PI", Tess began without any greeting - because he wasn't one of course. "So Vincent, isn't it?"  
"That's not really the problem right now, is it?" he replied wearily.  
"We found the fibers, but it'll take some time. It's not really that I can report her missing right now, because no one actually saw that she got kidnapped, apart from you having her phone and a pillowslip missing."  
"It was in her pillowslip", Vincent answered dryly.

With the warm tea in her hand and the fuzzy blanked around her shoulder Catherine felt how her body was relaxing, and heating up a bit. Still she didn't dare to drink, since she wasn't sure she could trust the ingredients.

On the other hand: why should he poison her? However she wanted to be awake and aware as possible when that man returned. Or maybe….  
"Who are you guys?" Catherine demanded. There wasn't any reaction. "Muirfield?" she added and he heard how one of them shifted, then another one further away. So only two?  
"Yes, I've heard that name before. My mother worked for you, but I don't know anything about her work", she continued. Again it was quiet. "Look, I really don't now a thing about my mother's work." Once more movement. Both came closer.

"Wait… what?" Vincent could literally hear Tess frowning on the other side. "How?"  
He exhaled, trying to figure out what he could tell Catherine's partner and how. "I tried to track them down."  
"How can you withhold e…", Tess barked but got cut off by him. "There won't be any DNA on it apart from Catherine's." - "And yours, I get it. So who are you … really?"  
"A friend", Vincent answered after a moment of consideration. "Who has to stay of the radar. Look, this has to do with her mother's work. She must have drawn attention…." He closed his eyes. Twisting the truth was something he despised.

They were coming closer, approaching her and Catherine had no way to move and doge them. She knew that they had weapons and obviously she had done something wrong buy talking.

"Drink the fucking tea and shut your mouth", one of them hissed at her that harshly that she flinched and almost spilled her hot drink.  
"Calm down, man and get away from her", the other one now standing right to her and opposite from the angry one replied.  
"Doc said to keep your mouths shut, so keep your mouths shut. Back off, the both of you." There was a third man, with a extraordinary deep voice, seemingly in command, at least as long the Professor wasn't in the room. Because both men moved away again. Catherine decided to drink her tea and keep silent until her mother's mentor returned.

"So how do you know all about this?" Tess asked. He should have hung up. Vincent shouldn't talk to her about it, not even talk to her at all.  
"Listen, Vincent", she simply went with that name, "I could've traced back the position of Cat's phone. I still can do that. And you telling me that you have to sty off the radar should've known that. So either you're fake and I'll trace back the position of the last few hours, or your not which means we're on the same team finding Cat. So tell me, what are you?"  
Vincent tensed up and sighed after realizing that Tess was very much true.  
"I knew her mother", he replied honestly. "And I knew the man you found dead tonight and that's how I know she's in trouble."  
"You know his name?"- "No, I just knew that he was in Afghanistan, along with Catherine's Mom. Maybe a scientist or doctor. Secret government project." - "Thanks. I'll let you know if I get anything."  
They both hung up.  
Vincent placed his forehead in his hands, frowning, feeling a massive headache coming up, almost feeling sick. He had no idea what he would do if he lost her. It was impossible to imagine. There was no way without her.

Tess looked at her notes and tapped on the paper with her pen. Then she started hacking onto her key board, shouting at some colleagues to help her out with the murder case, investigating different possibilities how to find out who the guy was. Military. Scientist. Both. Most possibly former. Her eyes fell onto her notes again. Crooking one brow she drew circles around three words: Afghanistan, doctor, Vincent.

Catherine blinked. Suddenly her eyes felt dry and heavy. It's not that she had slept enough in the first place, but the weariness was instantly stronger. Suppressing a yawn, she felt how the cup she still was holding slipped through her fingers. "There was something in that tea", she assumed, before her body slumped to the side.

There was no way for Vincent to find peace, no way for him to sit down and wait. Even if he really knew where to start, he simply didn't have the equipment. And then there was the fact, that the police was around Cat's apartment now, probably still around the building. He couldn't go back there. Truth was: the only thing Vincent really could do was wait. Pacing up and down the loft, he was hoping it would help him relax or bring up something he hadn't thought of. He pulled out the pillowslip from his pocket, turning it inside out, already knowing that he wouldn't find something.  
Vincent felt like he was going insane and it was getting harder and harder to keep his cool. Eventually he pulled off his shirt and started training, sit-ups, push-ups, boxing. It didn't matter that he was tired, and hungry. And always an eye on the clock. Time seemed to stand still and pass by equally. Why didn't Tess find anything?

As Catherine's phone buzzed again, he jumped up and leaped for it, just to see a text from an unknown number. An address. Vincent took the phone the keys to JTs car and his jacket. There wasn't time for a second thought and even while he was driving through the morning of New York, as the city was completely awake and daylight was dim but lightening up everything, Vincent didn't care that this might be a trap, that he might ended up being caught. Because Catherine was more important than him.

"It didn't go much faster, but I've got him", Evan dropped the file onto Tess' desk with a proud and self-confident smile. "You needed it quick, there you go. Pulled some strings and got into the dental records of the military. Doctor Bailey Jameson, sergeant. KIA."

Tess looked up at Evan with a frown. "So basically a dead soldier was killed, yesterday?" Her eyes dropped on her notes, seen the three circled words again. She opened Evan's file and covered her papers with it. "I'll run the name, maybe he was stupid or confident to use his name, thanks Evan." Tess took her phone ans started dialing, working on her keyboard already. The Brit turned away with a grin and his hands in his pockets, but he started frowning as he noticed Cat's empty desk. He pointed at it, but Tess chose to ignore it. Evan had no clue that her partner was missing.

Vincent hit the breaks. Here he was again: forlorn warehouses. But there had been a number on the phone as well. All he had to do was to find the building. He was torn between blindly running and carefully hearken and ended up trying both. There didn't seem to be anyone around and an icy fear crept into his bones that they might have tricked him again. Vincent fought for his sanity, for keeping the beast inside. He could feel it roaring inside him, demanding to be set free. In fact he almost gave in until Catherine's scent his his nose, making him sprint to the warehouse. And there it was again, that odd sound. Vincent dove into cover before he could reach the door, peeking for the source of that noise. It was a newly installed camera watching the entrance.

"Tess, got something", one of her colleagues helping her out shouted across the room. "Seems like the victim rented a car two days ago and was supposed to bring it back today."  
"You are joking right? Staying off the radar, pretending to be dead and then he rents a car?" Tess was starting to become annoyed with this case. "So?"  
"So I got it's last GPS position, some old warehouse…", the guy replied but Cat's partner already had jumped up and tore the papers out of his hands. "You're welcome."

So that had been the sound. It was zooming in, following him. Still no sign of human life, or they were too far away to focus on. Another shiver took over his body and in this second he was grateful for JTs new serum helping him control himself, but somehow it started to become painful to hold back. He exhaled sharply. No time to hesitate.  
Vincent put up his collar and ran for the door. With a smooth jump onto an old barrel, he leaped for the cable of the camera and ripped it of. Then he waited for a second, breathing in, listening. And as there was no sign of any device at the door, he carefully opened it, and checked the rim. Nothing.

Tess was tense. As soon as she was on the street the switched on the sirens, speeding up the car, maybe a little to much. She was reaching out for a straw here. There was no proof that Cat was there. For second she looked at her phone on the seat next to her. Calling Vincent on Cat's phone to meet up with him? No. He was a normal citizen, even as PI or CI or whatever he claimed to be.

Vincent shoved the door open slowly and lured into the dim darkness. The warehouse was completely stripped of any furniture, machinery and walls. Only the metal columns supporting the ceiling drew a strange pattern that reminded of a gigantic creature's skeleton. He could smell her scent and as his gaze fell upon the only asperity in the flat, dirty ground Vincent knew that it was Catherine.

Tess stared at the clock in her dashboard. Another five to ten minutes and she would be there. Again her eyes brushed across the phone, but she doubted that Vincent would make it in time now to meet up with her. And on the other side she didn't want o give him any hope if she wasn't sure that she would find anything, maybe not even the car. Switching off the siren, since there wasn't that much traffic anymore Tess focused back onto the street.

As he tried stopping from full speed, Vincent slit the last few feet until he was beside her. There she was. Catherine, tucked into a fuzzy blanked that smelled of… nothing but her. With a trembling hand Vincent brushed strains of her dark hair out of her face. She was breathing deeply, yet her heart beat was unusually slow.  
"Catherine", he said lowly, but she didn't react, not even when he took her face into his hands. her limbs were handing floppy from her body like she was nothing but a doll. The physical pain Vincent was experiencing was replaced by a different one. She had been drugged. Pulling her close he place on arm beneath her leg and one behind her back to lift her up. Catherine's head slumped against his neck. She was still in her PJs, unharmed, yet there was a slight scent of coagulated blood, and her body was much too cold. He had to get her out of here.

There was no change in Catherine as Vincent carried her out of the warehouse. He had no idea what he should do, if it was even safe to bring her into a hospital, right now as the police probably was searching for her. Looking around he could see another camera on the rooftop of the opposite building and felt how his anger felt like a burn inside.

Tess had finally reached the warehouse area. Given the signal of her sat nav it wouldn't be far anymore. However she had to slow down and look for the right building and that missing car. Driving along a fence she could see a figure further down the property. She narrowed her eyes to get a closer look. It seemed like a man was carrying something … or someone. As the person walked around the corner, Tess eyes widened: "Cat?" She tromped the throttle.

Vincent heard a car approaching. He had to be quick. There was no time looking for other cameras anymore or trying to avoid them. He expected that Muirfield would appear anytime. In fact he was asking what took them so long. There was no way that they would come with one simple car.  
He hadn't locked JT's auto, so he simply opened the shotgun, placing Catherine on it, buckled her seat belt, so that he could jump into the driver's seat and get the hell out of here.

Tess was cursing and swearing like a savage, trying to get to the point where they must have been right now. But the ground was too brashly to dive fast enough. Suddenly a trashy and blue car cut her off, made her almost hit here, but she jumped the breaks. One blink and the car was gone.


	3. Scars

º CHAPTER 3 º SCARS º [R]

Vincent was pretty sure that the car he had just cut off had been Tess. Looking in the review mirror he could see her following him up. Frowningly he tried to figure out the best decision. Her car was definitely faster than JT's and even if he did escape, Catherine's partner would definitely catch the license plate. However they had to get away from the warehouse first, before he pulled over.  
Still on the forlorn area he eventually stopped, killing the engine and getting out of the car before Tess could, his hands up defensively. The second Catherine's partner got out, she had her gun pulled, and frowned. She knew that face, but she couldn't quite put it yet. Taking a glance at the car, at the way this guy was looking at her, she took a call.  
"…Vincent?" she asked cautiously, still aiming at him.  
"Yes", he nodded, just slightly relieved. Still keeping his hands up, he pointed his head towards JT's car. "And that's Catherine in there. She's fine."  
Tess instantly secured her weapon and moved, putting the gun away as she did, to open the shotgun's door. Vincent slowly lowered his hands, staying where he was.  
"Cat. Cat?" she took her by the shoulders, shaking her, but getting no response. Tess looked up at Vincent questioningly. She knew that face, yet there was something wrong with it: the scar. "Wait a second. Afghanistan", she said. "You're the dead guy; killed in action in Afghanistan. Cat's been keeping a picture of in her desk."  
Vincent breathed in and out deeply, not saying a word but that was already an answer for Tess.  
"Dammit Cat", she scolded.  
"What's wrong with her?" Tess demanded to know as she rose up again to face Vincent on the other side of the vehicle.  
"She's been drugged", Vincent answered simply  
"Obviously", her partner gave back, being not really impressed by his answer.  
"Take her home", he simply retorted. "Get a doctor to check if she's okay and she'll be fine."  
"You are a doctor", Tess gave back and Vincent clenched his jaw.  
"I was", he replied after he calmed his breath.  
"No worries, your secret's safe with me for now", Tess looked at him sternly. "If Cat trusts you, I'll do so as well and after all: seems like you saved her from someone. How did you get here anyhow?"  
Vincent exhaled once more. There was a lot of explaining to do and he honestly didn't know where to start without turning Tess' current trust 180 degrees against him. So instead he pulled out Catherine's phone, showed it to her partner and threw it over.  
"Short message", he replied briefly.  
Tess caught the phone easily.  
"They knew you'd have it", she frowned at it before she looked up at him.  
"Get her home", Vincent repeated. "And stay with her."  
Tess furrowed her brows: "Why? Do you think that they will take her again?"  
Avoiding her gaze he swallowed dryly and eventually answered: "They might. Because I believe that I have what they are after."  
"So basically Cat's in trouble because of you", Tess narrowed her eyes and her hand instinctively moved to her gun; Vincent's hands jumped up again.  
"It's not that easy"; he tried to explain.  
"Try me", her hand rested on the weapon at her side.  
Vincent shook his head. "I probably already put you in danger just by speaking with you." he continued speaking calmly. He had to think of JT. He was in danger now too.  
"Take her home, or wherever you feel is safe", he slowly moved down his hands again. "Let me prepare a few things and I'll bring her someone where whoever is after her will not find her. And I promise you and come back to help you find them."  
"So you aren't sure if Cat's mother is involved in this?" Tess asked disbelievingly.  
"No, I'm sure that person is somehow related to Catherine's mother", Vincent spoke out his thoughts. "But it might not the same organization anymore. This isn't the same. They wouldn't have led me to Catherine in the first place.  
Tess didn't feel well with this situation at all. too many loose ends, too few things she knew. She looked down at Cat, wondering how much more she had kept from her.  
"You can trust me", Vincent said almost pleadingly and Tess looked back to him, replying: "Cat obviously does. More than she trusts me." She was hurt, she couldn't hide that fact. Somehow Tess always had believed that they were best friends, that Cat wouldn't have withheld something that big.

"No", Vincent shook his head. "She did this for me and to keep you safe."  
Tess took a long glance at Vincent, trying to find out what she should you, if she could trust him. With a brief look at Cat, who still was unconscious, she decided to trust her, no matter if she had kept away all those things from her. Tess knew that Cat was her friend. Eventually she exhaled and nodded. her hand dropped from the gun.  
"How can I reach you?" She asked.

"You can't", Vincent answered and walked around the car. "I'll come to Catherine's apartment as soon as I have everything prepared. When they see you there, they won't go after Catherine again."  
Tess stepped back a second to late as Vincent stopped in front of her. Well to be honest she could understand that Cat wanted to keep him for herself. A short smirk danced across her lips as she watched him lean down to get her friend out of the vehicle and carry her to Tess squad car easily. Her look turned thoughtful as she realized how he looked at her. It was more than work or friendship for him. This was more than obvious.  
She followed him and got to the driver's side.  
"The man's name is Bailey Jameson. He was declared KIA in Afghanistan", Tess told him. "He rented a car and it's las GPS signal was located here. Do you think that they sat you up?"  
Vincent buckled Catherine up and looked at her partner with a frown.  
"This wouldn't make any sense", he said more to himself. "Unless I am right and they have split of the original project."  
"So the car might still be here?" Tess asked.  
"Might be", was his response. "But we have to bring Cat away first. Quickly."  
This wasn't good. If this really wasn't Muirfield then all of this was a signal created for them. But why now?  
"I'll be there in a few", Vincent said and closed the door to walk to JT's car not without looking at Catherine one more, who was still slumbering much too deep.  
When Vincent had worked out this emergency plan he had never expected for Catherine to be a part, if not the core part of it. JT still wasn't home and given his teaching schedule, he wouldn't be quite some time. So Vincent left him a letter. There wasn't much that he needed to pack together, since he always had been prepared for having to leave quickly. he frowned as he looked through the loft. He would return, still somehow this place looked not like home anymore.  
JT's car stood where it belonged: directly at the front door. Vincent passed it by his looking at the ground. He didn't look back but walked further down the property to building where he used to train when his friend needed to rest. Few moments later he drove out an old blue ford with old license plates. It was a plain car, much like JT's. Nothing special, nothing that would draw attention.  
Vincent drove off. He wouldn't park the car directly where Catherine's apartment was, not wanting to risk that they found out about it. They were probably watching the building. So he decided to take the most obvious and most normal way: front door and then stairs. Hopefully Tess was there and Heather was not. Vincent took the blue cap he had been wearing from his head as he rang the doorbell. It took eternal minutes until Tess opened.  
"Faster than I expected", she nodded and let him in.  
"Is she awake?" he asked quickly.  
"She was when I brought her up, I managed to wake her, now she's dozing off again. Made her some coffee", Tess watched Vincent closely as he was aiming for Cat's room, and eventually grabbed his lower arm. "Wait."  
With a frown Vincent turned around.  
"She's acting strange. I don't know what kind of stuff they have given her, but it's not good. I called in sick for her", Cat's best friend explained and he nodded, worried.  
The door to Catherine's room was open and as Vincent looked inside, she wasn't sitting on her bed but on the solely chair in the room that stood in the corner i a perfect position to monitor every opening and possible threats. Catherine had her legs pulled up so that she could place her chin on her knees and looked outside the window. She didn't move as he entered her room, almost as if she didn't hear him  
Ever since her mother had been killed Catherine had been in control of her life. In spite of Vincent entering her life, until this morning. She could barely remember what had happened, but the only thing that mattered was that she had been helpless again. Someone else had been in charge. This man had been in control. Cat did her best to pull it together, but she hardly managed.  
"Catherine?" Vincent asked carefully, almost forgetting about Tess standing behind him, since she obviously had heard him now, but turned around her head hesitantly. She was crying silently.  
Although she was trying hard, the corners of her mouths lifted slowly and her smile didn't reach her eyes. Vincent couldn't bear that image. With quick steps he ended the distance between them, just to earn a shaking of her head, making him stop just e few inches.  
"This is my fault", Vincent said lowly, downhearted, yet Catherine shook her head once more: "I should have closed the windows. I was just too tired", she wiped away the tears that ran down her cheeks. Even though he had enough reasons dancing on his tongue, Vincent knew that she wouldn't accept them. Like always it was her who defined her truth. He frowned. Still this time she seemed different.  
"Okay", he said softly and made the final step towards her to place his hand on her back.  
Quickly Catherine turned her head away, but couldn't muffle her sobbing. Vincent gritted his teeth. He could hear how Tess moved away from the door.  
"I'm sorry", he said lowly and she pushed herself up to wrap her arms around him, silencing her sobs against his chest, as he held her close, helplessly himself.  
Vincent gently placed his chin against her head, just holding her close. He could only imagine how she must feel right now, while he as simply relieved that Catherine was safe and he could be there for her. Yet this moment was soon gone she felt how she tensed in his arms.  
"I don't want to run", Catherine said and pushed herself away from him, trying to stand up straight, to be composed, rubbing her face dry with one hand, while she supported herself clinging to Vincent's jacket.  
"You aren't running away", he retorted softly and added a smile. "I'm just calling in our long overdue camping trip."  
Replying his expression weakly Cat nodded once: "I'll pack a few things", she explained and eventually let go of him.  
Hands back into his pockets Vincent turned around to follow her moves, which were less energetic as they used to be. Vincent hadn't seen Catherine like that in a long time; he was worried. As Tess appeared in the door frame he was ignorant about the fact that Catherine's friend was looking at him and his gaze rather accidentally crossed hers. Slowly he moved towards Tess who waited for Cat to be out of the picture, before she handed him over a phone.  
"I'm pretty sure you both will accidentally forget your phones", she explained. "I want to be updated that Cat is fine, am I clear?"  
An Vincent's lips appeared a tiny smile and he nodded once as he took the device.  
"I've got another one, so in case that these … people …get the idea that we are in contact", Tess continued. "So that's safe. And if you don't keep me updated, I'll track you down and kick your cute ass." That said she turned around and walked back into the kitchen where her coffee was waiting. Vincent just blinked and smirked slightly.  
Tess had acted as bait, staying in Catherine's apartment while the both of them took the stairs. While Vincent had been carrying her stuff, she had run ahead, waring her running gear with a hoodie. It seemed to have worked because Catherine was already waiting in the car when Vincent arrived and no one seemed to watch them. There weren't any suspicious sounds. Still she was restless an tired and even though she had tried, Cat simply wasn't able to fall asleep.  
Driving out of New York in the typical morning traffic they didn't speak at all and the radio was murmuring lowly, just enough to kill the silence. She had lent her head against the cool window, watching the outside, as slowly a fragile rest took her over Vincent watched her as much as he monitored the street, searching for proper words to speak with her, dismissing them the moment he had put them in place. Mostly each time when Catherine seemed to have fallen asleep just to jump out of her slumber again.  
Eventually Catherine's heartbeat and her breath became constantly calm and Vincent could start to become nervous about the whole situation. How could he keep both promises? To keep her save and help her partner? But first they had to get away from New York as fast as possible.  
Vincent felt bad waking Catherine just when she had found the calmness she needed to sleep, but they had to leave the car behind and start hiking. He ended up in carrying the most of their baggage, but he didn't mind.  
"So it's you opinion that we are safer in a tent in the wilderness than in a warehouse in New York?" Cat asked a little weary, but in a teasing tone.  
"Well you know, beast and stuff", he smirked slightly as he was building the tent while she sat at the fresh burning fire to warm her up.  
Her shivers made Vincent worried. She had seemed okay, and he had neither sensed nor found something that had indicated that something was wrong with her. He wouldn't speak out, that she might be in shock.  
"Here", he pulled out Tess' phone and tossed it to wards her carefully so that she could catch it. "Tess wants an update."  
"Seriously?" Catherine chuckled.  
Talking to Tess had was distracting Catherine enough to lighten up her mood a bit and Vincent tried not to show his concerns about her health. Even though he didn't want to remind her of what had happened just a few hours ago, Vincent needed to know what they had done with her, apart from drugging her that strongly, that she had passed out for hours and still didn't seem to be in her normal state. When she had finished her call with Tess, Vincent was already sitting on the tree trunk he had found and pulled to their fire.  
"We will need more wood if we don't t want to switch to gas later", he said, staring into the fire, knowing that Catherine would feel uncomfortable with the idea of sitting alone at a campfire in the wilderness.  
"It's okay, I've got my gun packed", she shrugged and slumped down next to him, to earn a stunned gaze and a head shaking chuckle.  
"What?" Cat asked with a frown but somehow pleased that Vincent seemed to be amused.  
Breathing in deeply he shrugged his shoulders as response. "I don't know", he eventually said. "Even when you're shaken, you're still deliberate."  
"I can't risk for this to happen again, can I?" Cat retorted more thoughtful now, her slight smile had vanished; and Vincent regretted instantly what he had said. "Not that it's a bad thing", he chipped in quickly, but she wouldn't drop that topic:"But?"  
He turned the upper part towards her now, looking straight into her big questioning eyes. Vincent couldn't tell if she was playing with him, but then again that wasn't her character. Even as tired as she was, with her faintly swollen eyes Catherine still looked distractingly beautiful to him. Pulling himself out of it by looking away, hiding his embarrassment beneath a smirk, he answered: "You always need to have anything under control. Seem like when you haven't planned it, it's not…."  
"You say I'm a control freak and perfectionist?" Catherine teased him now, yet Vincent didn't catch it: "No, no, I mean", he smirked a bit wider, avoiding her eyes, "maybe little."  
Suddenly she punched him playfully against his upper arm, taking him by surprise.  
"Ouch", he muttered playing along and making her laugh as he rubbed across the spot she had hit.  
"You deserved that", Catherine smirked and glanced into the fire.  
"Why?" Vincent asked in a mixture of curiosity and and played mortification, staring at her seemingly impatient.  
Catherine had planned to let it drop, but he kept looking the exact same way she peeked towards him. Finally she gave in and sighed: "Because you bailed on me."  
Now it was him who kept silent. There wasn't really something to say about that situation. Still Vincent felt like he had so answer to that.  
"I know why, you don't need to explain.", Catherine spoke before he had the chance. "It has never been an issue and suddenly you flee as if - I don't know - if I'd asked for more than that. It was just a kiss."  
Vincent had already been tense before she dug deeper into the topic and now at least for him it became somewhat awkward.  
"Cathrine", he exhaled, trying to find the right words so that it wouldn't sound exactly as it did, when he spoke it out. "It's not just a kiss. It's … you have always been the one to calm me down instead of…."  
She rose one brow as the obvious truth sunk in.  
"Oh," she commented and gestured a little too exaggerative as she continued. "So you're plain calm whenever you meet me."  
Vincent tried to smirk his embarrassment away again.  
"Like now", Cat tilted her head slightly, looking up to him, making him realize how close she sat to him, which made him a bit uncomfortable.  
"You know that's not true", he brought out, avoiding her eyes looking to the ground.  
"I know that you'd never hurt me", Catherine said softly, placing her hand on his left check again, like she always did when he was doubting himself, brushing her fingers across the light stubbles on his face. He hadn't even taken the time to shave himself. She smiled at him warmly. And Vincent wasn't able to look away. Every time it was a piece of work to rip his eyes away and right now it was simply impossible.  
A moment passed. And then another, without one of them moving. They just looked each other with sight smiles. One too much in control the other in fear of being the opposite. Vincent closed his eyes, savoring Catherine's touch. Her hand was slightly cool, perceivably cooler than his skin. As he noticed that she let go of him, turning her head back to the fire, Vincent caught her face right in its movement with both of his hands. Just briefly looking into her eyes, showing that she was surprised, he gently pulled her towards him to kiss her softly. It was nothing more than a chaste touch, but all that he dared to do right now. He let his hand brush off her skin. With their faces close Vincent held still, listening to his own heart-beat, feeling only a little shift inside him, nothing that he wasn't used to. Like when he saw Catherine dressed up for something. Yet he had reckoned this without her.  
Feeling her svelte fingers slide up his cheeks and to the back of his head into his hair, all he could do was look ad her questioningly. There was nothing but confidence in her features. She always trusted him more than he did himself.  
As their lips met once more it was different. Like this morning when Catherine had thought she was dreaming and Vincent felt how his heart speed up as she brushed her mouth against his with a gentle pressure, making them both catch their breath instinctively, closing their eyes.  
With a swift move Catherine was lifted on his lap, sitting sideways, as Vincent wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer towards him. He could feel how she slowly heartened up beneath his touch, by their kiss. Hearts beating faster, breaths becoming more shallowly. Vincent felt a slight sting as he realized that he wouldn't stop kissing her, slightly nipping at her lips, as long as she wouldn't stop him. He needed and wanted this much more as he had ever allowed him to expect.  
Catherine had her arms clasped around his shoulders, her fingers sunken into his thick brown hair, almost afraid that he would push her away. She needed this far too much, had waited for this far too long. Unintentionally Cat pressed the upper part of her body against his, feeling an ache in her back since she had to twist herself. She didn't want to stop because of that, so she simply moved around and straddled Vincent's lap, while not stopping to kiss him.  
The fire was cracking behind them as the sun left its zenith. Some birds where whistling in the distance as a cool blow of air brushed through the crowns of the trees surrounding them.  
As Catherine moved Vincent didn't realize was she was about to do until it was too late to stop her. His body's reaction was faster than his minds when his hands run across her back to press her against him.  
This time Cat's behavior was intentionally as she sucked on his lower lip encouraged by how he reacted to her. She could feel her heartbeat drum in her neck and felt strangely dizzy, but she didn't care. This rush blanked out her mind and her need for control, because the only thing what mattered was him that close to her. His taste on her lips, his breath on her skin, his hands holding her tight. And she wanted more of it.  
Catherine stole his breath the way she kissed him and his own heart was racing against hers. Feeling her that close was the best thing in his life and the thought alone that she wanted him despite everything was beyond him to understand and yet more wonderful than everything else. His heart ached as she started to suck on his lips sending a wave of heat through his veins. Vincent felt a strong pull inside him, a roar from the beast that he held back, which was now rooting with his instincts with his need to have more.  
As the barrier inside cracked, something else reached him. A faint smell and yet so close to him that it only could be her, Catherine. Something wasn't right and this certainty ripped him out of this intoxicating vertigo she had pulled him into. Bringing his hands to her shoulders Vincent pushed her away determinately. Her pupils were dilated, her breath shallow. And he could see in the reflection of hers that his own eyes had slightly changed. Vincent breathed in deeply as his arms refused to get closer to him again.  
Cat's hands brushed away from his hair and his face, as Vincent pushed her away. Yet she opened her eyes not till she realized that Vincent wouldn't continue kissing her, just to notice that he seemed to examine her with his golden eyes. Golden. She figured that he had put her on arm's length because he was afraid of shifting. Nevertheless there was something off in his expression and she watched his eyes turn brown again. Thinking that he was fine again, Catherine leaned over just to butt against his hold off her. Vincent pressed his lips together and frowned in concern and dejection.  
"What is wrong?" Cat demanded to know, hurt from his behavior.  
"There's another drug in your system", Vincent answered directly. "I couldn't smell it before, but since the soporific has worn off I …."  
"What?!" she shouted out and was surprised by her outbreak.  
Confusedly Catherine blinked and tried to understand, finally realizing that he was right, while Vincent rose from his sitting position, forcing her to stand up as well. She was quite ignorant about that until she looked at him, since she had to look up once again.  
"But that doesn't mean that I'm …", she searched for the right words. "Not knowing what I'm doing."  
"Yes, but I think that you are overreacting", Vincent said calmly, trying to smile and to show her that there was nothing to worry about.  
"Am I?" Catherine replied, her voice slightly on edge, obviously annoyed and angry; and she just had proved him right.  
She sighed. Of course this was just the perfect excuse for not continuing.  
"You aren't making that up, are you?" she heard herself say.  
Vincent just looked at her not sure if he had heard her right. And Catherine had an expression on her face that she wasn't right either.  
"Okay, I can tell…. I get it", she nodded once, her eyes opened widely as she realized that something wasn't right here. She sat down on the tree trunk again and stared into the fire, wrapping her arms around herself as she started shaking.  
It wasn't really freezing and the sun was shining as well. At least for Vincent it wasn't cold at all. Yet Catherine was shivering. He knew that this had to do with whatever they had given her.  
"It might be something like ecstasy", he tried to find an explanation. "Like heightening all emotions. Maybe the soporific suppressed its effect until it wore off."  
Cat just looked up to him angrily. She felt like she was freezing to death and somehow it was his fault. Gritting her teeth she glared at him, who was obviously confused and worried. Vincent opened his mouth to say something, just to close it again, stepping uncomfortably from one feet onto the other.  
"I'll get you a blanket", he finally said and turned away to the tent.  
By now Cat asked herself what she was so angry about and why she thought it had to do with him. All she wanted in this moment was that he would come back to her, taking her in his arms and the cold away from her. She flinched as Vincent wrapped a blanked around her, hardly hearing him mumble an apology for making her jump. Before she could place her hands on his, they were gone.  
"So… if you are okay, I'll go get the rest from the car and then try to find some wood for the fire. I'll be back soon", Vincent said, keeping his distance and playing around with a bottle of water, realizing that he originally had brought it along for her. "Here," he handed it over, still insecure how she would react. "You should drink as much as possible", he added. "It'll get the drug out of your system."  
Vincent turned away and started walking, and even though Catherine opened her mouth to say something, there was nothing that seemed fit. At least for him to hear.  
After Vincent had left Cat became jumps. She couldn't sit still. So she started drinking the water, rummaging through the place, rearranging the items they already had here for three times, securing the fireplace. When she was finished Vincent was looking at her with a mixture of confusion, worry and amusement, getting a pouty face as answer.  
After Vincent had left Cat became jumps. She couldn't sit still. So she started drinking the water, rummaging through the place, rearranging the items they already had here for three times, securing the fireplace. When she was finished Vincent was looking at her with a mixture of confusion, worry and amusement, getting a pouty face as answer.  
"Go, get the wood", she shooed him away with both hands, making him laugh and he dropped the backpack ans sleeping bag he had brought with him along with another six pack of water and quickly walked away, not without looking at her, smirking a little.  
Somehow it made Cat relax, the way he acted. Vincent could be funny and when he was he made her laugh every time. In fact he was too broody, too thoughtful all the time, but that was something that came along with the situation he was in.  
Starting to unpack the rest of their stuff, Cat distinctly calmed down. She felt better, less on edge. Yet the downside of it all was that reality kicked in and the memory what had happened to her. However as soon as the pictures came back, she wanted to remember. All of it. Maybe there were things that could help find out who those people were. And she had a certain hunch about Doc as well.  
"I don't believe they are Muirfield", Catherine said when Vincent came back with a pile of branches. Most of them were too long for the fireplace but she had a feeling that he simply would break them into the right size.  
Vincent blinked, but he instantly knew what she was talking about.  
"Yes", he agreed after a few seconds and she wasn't surprised at all.  
"So they are sending Muirfield a message", she figured, staring into the fire. "And for some reason they are after us both."  
Now Vincent was obviously confused: "Why?"  
"Why?" Vincent asked again as Catherine tried to find a way to break the news as gentle as possible. She knew he would freak out, no matter how she would put it.  
He dropped the branches and made her jump. This time he didn't apologize.  
"Catherine, you said 'us both'", he dug deeper and stepped towards her to to top right in front of her, his hands already clenched into fists.  
"He didn't just take me, Vincent", Catherine finally revealed. "He took a blood sample of me as well. At least as far as I remember."  
Vincent was stunned and utterly confused about this information. There was something ultimately wrong with it. It just didn't seem fit or right at all.  
A slight shiver ran though his body as he clenched his fists even more and gritted his teeth. Cat instinctively knew that she had to district him or at least made him focus on something else, use his mind and not his emotions.  
"He said he knew my mother, was her mentor, brought her to Muirfield, recruited her", she continued. "And he seems to know everything about me and enough about us."  
Vincent who had started to pace around and looked at Catherine when she said that. About whom was she talking? Did he know him? What else had he done to her? Taking a deep breath he tried to calm himself down.  
"He said that he created you", Cat said cautiously after he seemed to ease a little and stepped towards him taking his hand. "He was the one that let me speak to you, knowing that he would upset you more."  
Vincent looked into her eyes, felt how her thumbs brushed across the backs of his hands, how calm she tried to be, how settled. For him obviously. Even though it seemed that the second drug was worn out, she still had a scar on her soul from his morning.  
"This doctor, or professor claimed that he was my mother's mentor", Cat went on after a short pause. "And he told me that he had me kidnapped to get my blood" - she frowned - "claiming that he wanted to find out why you were so protective of my mother and are so of me now."  
"That was not part of the project", Vincent immediately said. "You mother was kind and caring, just like you are."  
"He didn't say that it was part of it", Catherine tilted her head slightly, giving him a fragile smile.  
Vincent looked at Catherine determinedly, yet worried. How could she be drawn into this? Still she stroke his hands with her thumbs, trying to comfort him when it was her who needed solace. However Vincent needed to know what this doctor had done to her.  
"Is there anything else?" he hated to ask and Cat knew; she knew it from the way he said it: his tone, his voice, how he looked at her.  
"They made me drink this tea that knocked me out", she answered truthfully, frowning as she tried to remember more. "With this doctor there were at least three other men. They had weapons like…" she hook her head "… like even though he said you wouldn't find me they wouldn't leave anything to chance."  
Even though Catherine stood strong and tightened Vincent had learned when she was just acting out on what she thought was the best for her not to be hurt. He didn't accept it. With a slight pull he freed his hand and wrapped his arms around her - the limits that had stopped him to touch her had been vanished into nothing since she had kissed him.  
Still he took her by surprise and wasn't able to stop him from embracing her. With a low sigh Cat gave in before she even fought and placed her hand onto his back where she could feel his muscles tense slightly.  
With having her that close, inhaling her unique scent, hearing her heartbeat which he could locate in a big crowd it was almost like time standing sill, like he was simply human, just like her. And with that thought a horrible notion came into his mind, as her words sunk in. What if she wasn't part of the project yet? When this Doctor claimed to be the one who created him in the first place what if he wanted to change her too? Why else claim that he needed to examine her blood.  
"Vincent?" Cat cautiously asked as she realized that he was tensing up more and more. With her head on his chest she could hear how his heartbeat was speeding up, just like his breath. "Are you okay?"  
"Yes"", he lied, looking down at her, trying to smile, realizing that she could see right through his facade. "No."  
Cat knew she should move away from his arms so that Vincent could tell her what was on his mind. Yet this was a thought of reason, and the mind didn't always know what was good for the heart, so she stayed where she was, bringing one of her hands back up to his face, smiling gently.  
"I still keep on thinking about why", he admitted, not being able to tear his mind away from this notion. "Why he needs you blood."  
It had been bothering her all the time. If he had had the resources of a black ops government operation, why didn't he simply pull her medical files? For what reason? There was only one explanation.  
"Experiments", she said lowly, swallowing dryly before she continued. "That's what you are thinking about, right? But he didn't take that much."  
"While you were awake", Vincent added in concern. " The way you were passed out, how long it took, it still takes for you to be back on your feet. The dizziness. All of this can be due to blood loss as well."  
Catherine stared at him in disbelief.  
"Maybe he gave the second drug to you to make sure that you wouldn't collapse. Why else would he have given it to you?" Vincent continued.  
There was an explanation for this in Cat's head that she didn't say out loud, because it was freaking her out already. She had no idea how he would react. If this guy this doctor was really after her as well, maybe after her in the first place and not because of her mother's documentation. Then it meant he was after her because how important she was to Vincent, because of what they felt for each other.  
Cat didn't want to go there, not now, maybe not ever. She felt how her knees became wobbly again and wrapped her arms back around Vincent, placing her her head against his chest, listening to his strong, slightly heightened heartbeat and how it calmed down slowly as he held her close again.  
"You promised Tess to come back and help her find this guy, this Doc", she said with closed eyes.  
"Yea", he replied leaning his chin against her forehead, staring and listening into the distance, still trying to figure it all out.  
"So she wants to know if you've got any idea who this man could be", Cat continued. "Maybe the head of your project. Maybe you remember him? Talking to my mother? The way he put it she looked up to him and was his favorite student."  
Vincent frowned slightly as he tried to call up his memory from the time in Afghanistan. Still many incidents were blurry and he never really wanted them to become more clear. It reminded him too much of what he had done and what he still was capable of. He exhaled deeply as there was no one that seemed to fit.  
"Are you sure that he claimed to be her mentor? Wouldn't he have to be much older than her?" Vincent narrowed his eyes and he could feel Catherine shift, looking up to him again. "Yes, but he didn't sound that old. He could have been lying", she replied to him. "His voice was smooth. I thought that he sounded a little British at the beginning, though I'm not sure…"  
There was an expression in Vincent's face that made her stop. She didn't want him to lose the grip on his strain of thoughts or memories he was obviously following. His lips had formed into a thin line and he tried to remember just to shake his head.  
"There were a few people that never spoke to us but were around. Like they were just interns or assistants and we didn't really bother, because your mother was the one who took care of us", Vincent finally said. "No one of them was visibly older than her and just one or two in her age."  
"So he lied?" Catherine frowned.  
"Or he never has been there", Vincent explained.  
"Or…" she build another thought and slightly pushed away. "He never was her mentor. Doc said that my mother was his favorite student. it doesn't mean that he was her professor. Just because he is one it doesn't mean he was hers. And he could have gotten her into his project anyhow."  
Vincent looked at her frowningly, trying to catch up that thought and bring back the faces.  
"Maybe my mother has a picture of him in her files", Catherine stared into the fire now, remembering a few pictures she had stashed away again. This man, this Doc, or Professor could be on one of them, if he was true that her mother had been looking up to him. Had she ever talked about him?  
"There might be one"; Vincent finally said.  
"Do you know his name?" Catherine was full in detective mode now, starting to walk around, forcing herself to remember more details about the whole kidnapping.  
"No, but I might have seen him", Vincent answered broodingly.  
"So if I'd show you the pictures, you might recognize him?" she stopped pacing and looked at him with big eyes, like a kid that just asked if her parents would go to Disneyland with her. Of course Catherine wasn't jumping into the air or cheering as Vincent nodded briefly, but the slight glow that always seemed to waft around her and had vanished since he left her this morning slightly returned.  
Cat was gaining control again. And this feeling was a powerful relief, even though the ache of that scarring memory was like a splinter in her heart, at least she was able to breathe gain.  
"So I'll guess you won't stay here when I head back tomorrow?" Vincent asked, not sure if he would like the answer he was about to hear, or rather see, because Catherine was simply smiling slightly at him, certainty in her eyes.  
"Are you sure about that?" he asked further and she stepped towards him grabbing his collar: "I would go insane out her alone, hiding, nothing to do but worrying my head off."  
Vincent was in between amusement and concern watching her like this.  
"So that means no", Cat added with a smile. "I won't stay here lone. I'm coming back with you. Resistance is futile."  
He remembered saying that to her and smirked. Still he wasn't sure if this was the best idea. He couldn't be there all the time, could he? If this Doc wanted to kidnap her again, he might even succeed. Yet as he opened his mouth to veto, Catherine pulled him down crushing her lips on his. There was in fact no resistance to that.  
They spend the rest of their day talking about everything else but what had happened that night, or about everything not directly related to the fact that Vincent was different. Catherine called Tess once more to tell her that she would come back and to know if her partner had found out anything about the killed former Muirfield associate - not that she mentioned the project.  
It was like back then, as they both had been teenagers, when they got all wrapped up in their sleeping backs, whispering when the sun set and all colors went to gray. When Cat looked at Vincent in that dim light she knew that he was just that. He was her constant reminder that there was no black and white, not just day or night; there were shades in between like dusk and dawn. Eventually it was up to each and every one alone how to look at them.  
For Cat it was a good thing. Ever since her mother had died she had lived in straight lines, being color blind, defined everything in black and white. She would never have been able to welcome Brooke into her family if it hadn't been for Vincent.  
Moving closer to him with a soft smile, she knew that it was because of him that she had a real life, a personal life a true deep relationship to someone she could trust, no matter who or what he was. Cat hat to chuckle because of them laying together that chastely, packed away in two sleeping bags. Vincent got that idea right from her face and smirked almost shyly and she let him be. There had been enough excitement for that day and just when that thought had formed itself in her head he leaned down and kissed her.


	4. Parasite

Chapter 4 Parasite R [sexuality]

JT muffled curses as he hit over his thermos jug to see that it was leaking. He was already late - not that this was any different from other days. Yet without having Vincent around he had expected from this morning to be different. But it wasn't. Although he really had had a nice evening with his now girlfriend, he had felt to go home.  
"I can't believe I actually miss him", he said rather to himself, trying to clean up the mess he had created and bet a bite of his toast.  
"He's going to miss you too", deep voice answered from behind, and JT froze.

The last time both of them had slept that relaxed was a day they both couldn't quite remember. They hadn't set an alarm clock simply Vincent had expected his instincts to kick in. However: they didn't and Cat was the first to jump up, waking him in the process because Vincent's arm was put around her and she had nuzzled herself against him. He was instantly awake, focusing if there was anything out of the ordinary. But there was nothing else than nature and the both of them.  
"Are you okay?" he asked, still a little sleepy and Cat turned around to look down to him as he was rubbing his eyes. This was just too cute to bear.  
"Yes, I'm fine", she glanced into the other direction, still she felt somehow strange. "But maybe the other drug still hasn't worn off?"  
Vincent also sat up, rubbing through his hair, and then he realized that he maybe shouldn't have said that and maybe shouldn't got up. Simply because it was morning and he got a bit of an idea.  
Catherine opened her sleeping bag, still wearing the jogging clothes she had put on the day before. It had gotten cold and he didn't want to actually get a cold. Sucking on her lips she didn't really wanted to say that she would love to jump him right now. Yet again: it was morning, and with that there was suddenly an awkward silence.

"This is…" JT was muffled by the black fabric that was covering his head, as he was stumbling across the stony pavement of his own property and was shoved inside a car. The door shut behind him and his arms immediately ached from being cuffed behind his back.  
"No it's not a misunderstanding, Professor Forbes", a much smoother voice than before talked to him now.  
"Wh….. who the hell are you?" JT was able to push out of his lungs.  
"Oh, your best friend didn't tell about me? I am … dismayed", the man answered, obviously being theatrical and a slight nudge told Vincent's best friend that the car he was sitting in started moving. He felt panic building up in his chest.  
"Didn't he tell you at all why he and Catherine went on a camping trip on such a short notice?" his kidnapper asked almost parenthetically and made a long pause before he continued. "Let's just say it was … my proposal."  
JT tried to focus, to keep calm, even though he had told to him that this day would come sooner or later and tried to prepare himself, he felt that being here right now in this situation he couldn't handle it. His body was covered in cold sweat, his heart was beating so fast that he feared he would either feint or puke, possibly both. All the while trying to understand what this man said and musing what he would want from him.  
"Professor Forbes," his captor spoke calmly, even friendly now. "From a colleague to another colleague please know that I am not here to hurt you. I do not mean you any harm. Please understand that I have to stay anonymous and forgive me for this inconvenience. As I am very interested in your … private project concerning … - " he was obviously searching for the right word and JT felt a icy shiver running down his spine, as that guy continued - " Mr. Keller, I had to take you out on a little trip, since I believe you wouldn't share your research voluntarily."  
JT tensed and he felt how his stomach threatened to turn. He thought of his loft, his notes, the laptop, the instruments, the files, the documents, everything he ever put down and examined to help Vincent was there. And now, there was no doubt about it, it wouldn't be anymore.

"Tess", she heard a warm male voice with an obvious and charming accent and turned around, smirking flirtatious: "Yeah, Evan?"  
"About these fibers of that second crime scene you requested…", he answered slightly frowning. "There were DNA samples as well and I took a closer look."  
Cat's partner was taken aback.  
"How? What? Why?" Tess was confused and felt like she was standing with her back towards a wall.  
"I know that it was Cat's apartment, is she okay? Tell me what happened?" Evan demanded sternly. "This DNA I've found. It's that specific one I talked to her about. She said I was overcompensation. I was seeing things that weren't there and now I find that DNA at her place? Is she really ill? What do you know, Tess?"

Vincent and Catherine were on her way back now after packing everything together and while he was driving, she was trying not to look at him, not to think to much about what had happened the night. Still she had so smile. No matter what she had endured to get here, even though it sounded odd, she was happy at least about yesterday evening and night.  
"I probably should call Tess that we're on our way", Cat said, turning towards Vincent again and he briefly took his eyes from the road to give her smiled nod.  
Taking the phone out of her pocket she stared at the display, trying to think, but somehow she wasn't capable to do so. Instead of dialing she looked at Vincent, watching him drive, before she reached out to gently place her hand onto his cheek and brush her thumb across his skin. He slightly nuzzled into her palm, briefly looked at her from the corner of his eyes with uncertain smile. Cat wanted to kiss him so badly right now; make him pull over and crush her lips on his. She swallowed, letting her hand drop and auto dialed Tess' number.

JT shifted in his seat awkwardly, the cuffs made his shoulders ache and fear clawed into his stomach.  
"You could just have broken in and take everything when I left", he finally managed to say, being more afraid about the uncertainty about his own destiny than of this strange man that named him a colleague.  
"Yes, but that would have meant not meeting you, Professor Forbes", his captor answered with a horrible calm in his tone.  
Obviously he had made a gesture, because someone pulled at his shoulder, creating a new outbreak of cold sweat onto JT's skin. With a lout clicking sound his handcuffs were opened and he could bring his hands to the front, easing the pressure on his shoulders.  
"You do understand that I can't allow you to free you from the bag over your head", the man continued and Vincent's friend nodded almost hastily: "Yes."  
They would kill him if he pulled it off, if he saw that freaking man's face. Still JT tried to focus, to think rational, telling himself that he wasn't meant to be harmed, why else this procedure? Maybe they just wanted to freak him out, and this worked damn well.  
"Professor Forbes, you know that I am really interested in your work and research of my subject", his kidnapper spoke matter of factly now and JT heard very well that he referred to Vincent as a subject; he swallowed drily. "And I would look forward to you continuing this work. Yet I couldn't ignore that you lack the proper equipment to do so. Allow me to offer my assistance on that matter. We could work together." Now JT was absolutely confused and even more freaked out. "Of course if you agree not to reverse my accomplishments but help to optimize them." - He started to wonder when he would finally puke into the bag over his head. It would make him puke even more, he was sure of it. His clothes would be all messed up, probably ruined, not to mention his face. "See, I came to know through another … associate of mine that his … beastly DNA are dominant and slowly take over the human ones and I'd like to stop that. At the right time of course."

Tess felt and heard her mobile buzzing, and so did Evan. They both stared at each other as if this topic might just go away or be resolved by doing so.  
"There wasn't any DNA taken," she glared at her opposite and burst out in disbelieving uproar: "You were at Cat's apartment taking samples?!"  
Evan narrowed his eyes slightly, noticing that Tess was avoiding to give him a direct answer and judging him for caring and finding evidence.  
"Yes, I was", he responded after a pause full of glares, making a step back. "After I heard that the second crime scene was in fact Cat's sleeping room. Don't you want to take that call?"  
Tess' lips were a thin line, knowing that he would see a cheap mobile phone and figure out that Cat was just calling her. She couldn't take the risk for him to dug deeper with questions.  
As Tess was not taking her call, Catherine frowned, shrugging a moment later and hung up. "I guess she's busy", was her explanation to Vincent's questioning look and stretched herself noisily. "She'll call back, I think. … I really need a shower."

Vincent's comment was a tiny smirk, which quickly faded because he tried not to picture that in his head. It seemed like the last evening still stuck in his bones. "Uhm…, me too", he said, hoping that his own voice would distract himself from the pictures before his inner eye.  
Cat looked at him, not knowing what was going on in his mind, but there was a hunch and she quickly looked outside the window.

"You broke into Cat's apartment?" Tess asked instead of taking Cat's call.

"No, I didn't", Evan shook his head. "I asked Heather to give me the keys and I gave them back. I wanted to make sure that Cat was okay when she didn't take my calls. But she wasn't there."  
"So you did the next best thing and invaded her privacy?" Tess scolded him.  
"I was worried!" Evan tried to explain himself. "And now I'm even more because I found this DNA. Did she never talk to you about that?"

JT was still trying to digest the words he just had heard. Had this really been a real proposal? He kept silent, not knowing what he should say or even if he was expected to say something. Then the car stopped, and his heart along with it for a second. Frozen with panic he held still, didn't dare to move, barely to breathe.  
"Please, Professor Forbes", he man talked almost warmly towards him now. "Take my proposal into consideration."  
This was so confusing. Did his kidnapper really mean it? The door opened and JT could feel his throat burn with panic, even more as someone took him by his upper arm to pull him out of the car. As the bag was pulled off his head the light was blinding his eyes. The air that filled his lungs was cold and he didn't really hear the door closed shut behind him and the engine howling until the car moved. JT turned around to see a black notch back which was gone before he could even think of trying to memorize the license plate.

"I'll text her", Cat broke the awkward silence, during which she had played with that mobile phone her friend and colleague had given to her. "Tell her that we're on our way."  
Vincent looked at her a little too long for just reassuring, and nodded quickly as he realized that for himself, turning his head back facing the street after that. He watched her type out of the corner of his eyes, concentrating on the street.  
"We should have gone earlier", he stated. "It's too late already. I can't avoid to be seen."  
Cat blinked, getting what he meant instantly.  
"Do you want to jump into the trunk?" she said with lifted eyebrows and a slight smirk. "Let me drive, and pretend to sleep."

Tess' glare at Evan weakened. Cat hadn't spoken to her about a lot of things, obviously. She didn't tell her about Vincent, whatever relationship was between them, nor did she ever mention Evan's DNA topic. So she pursed her lips briefly, thinking.  
"So what about this DNA you've found?" she eventually asked, making Evan instantly glow in a shimmer of enthusiasm and conspiracy.

"Not here", he said secretively and placed his hand on Tess' back, gently shoving her along the corridor towards his office.

Catherine had driven back the car to the place where Vincent had parked it, all the while he was laying on the shotgun, his collar standing up to cover his face and watching her. Even though she didn't look at him, she could feel his eyes on her skin. It was both strangely comforting and exciting. For a few minutes Cat's hands clung to the steering wheel, trying to make sure that they got to her place quickly since it was the she couldn't stand this. It wasn't the silence. There was no need to talk. In fact she enjoyed just having him here with her. As strange as it seemed, he was the one that made her feel sane, normal, calm and most of all: happy. With that thought Catherine started to smile and she could see out of the corner of her eye that Vincent obviously was a little confused about it. There was a little frown on his face before the corners of his lips curled up as well.  
It was simply instinct, like the most normal thing to do, as Cat's right hand let go of the wheel to reach out and placed itself on Vincent's left, which fingers automatically interlaced with hers. Both their smiles grew wider.

Tess didn't know if she wanted to see anything that Evan wanted to show her. Somehow he was freaking her out, but she was too stubborn to let her face mirror that emotion.  
"There have been various crime scenes where I found this kind of strange DNA", he started immediately after putting her next to his desk and losing the door. "It's…" - now he was like thinking about how he could explain all of this to her without being to scientific. "… like a cross-species."  
Cat's partner looked at him, who look like he was extremely excited for finally being able to spill out all of what he had found out, for finally finding someone who seemed willing to hear. Even seemed like trying not to explode into words. He was clearly freaking her out, and only Tess slightly widened eyes were showing it.  
As Evan almost rushed behind his desk to unlock his computer and tormenting the key board for opening his files, Tess was barely moving, just watching him, wondering if she knew his obsessed guy tumbling in front of her. This didn't make sense, did it? She was asking herself if Vincent might know about this DNA as well and that she was the only one kept out of this Fringe-worthy topic. Then Evan's word reached her mind.  
"Wait … what … cross species?" she repeated in disbelief, finally moving around the desk as well, being cautiously curious, still not sure if she really wanted to know. "Like in…"  
"Yes, like in animal-human cross species", Evan confirmed and Tess leaned over next to him, looking onto the big screen at the DNA sequence he was showing her.  
"You know that I don't really see a difference?" she mocked and earned one of his typical charming, roguish grins as reward, before he started explaining.

Cat had parked the car where they had started off the day before, reluctantly letting go of Vincent's hand doing so. They hadn't said a word until now and kept silent as the car's engine hushed.  
"How will you get home?" Cat asked him, secretly hoping that there was no easy way getting back to the old chemical plant, where his hideout was.  
"Sewers", Vincent shrugged, being oblivious of her thoughts, even though he had hoped for her to ask something different. "Old metro tunnels."  
"Is there a way to get to my place like that?" she inquired almost innocently.  
"Almost", was his answer. "There's an entrance right there" - he showed to a duck cover a few feet in front of them - "and we could get back upside in the court of the apartment buildings behind the containers."  
Catherine raised her brows: "Oh? Is that how you …"  
Vincent almost blushed and covered his embarrassment with a chuckle, avoiding eye-contact. "Usually I go across the roofs since it's dark and less cameras. I don't want to smell like sewer, you know."  
"Mind if you show me the way?" it wasn't really a question, because she got out of the car before he could answer.

It was pretty dark and smelly down here. Vincent didn't really understand why she wanted to go underground when she pretty much could have walked back to her apartment, being on the phone with Tess. If she had wanted him to meet her at her place he could have gone alone. Yet, as Cat let him take the lead to guide the way, he got an idea why, as she took his hand, making his heart speed up a pace.  
"Okay, I get what you mean", Catherine said after they had walked for a while, obviously speaking while breathing through her mouth. "I will definitely need a shower after this."  
"Me too", Vincent instantly agreed and was relieved that she wasn't able to see his face, because it did show perfectly what was going on in his mind. Hoever he couldn't see her face as well, which was showing the exact same expression.  
It hadn't been that bad, otherwise Vincent wouldn't have said that there was a way. And on the other hand he really liked holding her hand, her moving that close to him, because she couldn't see that good. He almost was sad when he climbed up the ladder, to get them upside again, giving Catherine a hand, as she pushed herself up, who was grinning sheepishly, since this reminded her too much of playing hide and seek. As a kid she had always been winning because Heather had been too much of a girl and didn't want to make herself dirty.  
"Okay, let's go", she said, still smirking as she stood up to walk across the court, taking Vincent's hand again and almost dragged him along with her, being positively surprised.  
They took the stairs of course, because they both felt like they were actually stinking. Although they didn't really care as they run up the stairs, giggling and chuckling, still holding on to their hands.  
"I hope I didn't get any parasites down there", Cat said, smelling at her sweatshirt and wrinkling up her nose.  
"Well I surely didn't", Vincent replied grinningly, making her stop with a playfully shocked expression on her face: "You did actually take that route?" and he pressed his lips together, hiding an embarrassedly grin. "Well, I had to."  
With a slight pull on her hand, Cat made him step closer, placing her arms around onto his shoulder as she stood two stairs higher than him. Vincent looked at her like she had hypnotized him and Catherine simply looked back with a smile.

This time it was Evan's cell buzzing and Tess turned her eyes away from the screen and files to look at him questioningly. With a slight frown he brought out the device from his pocket and looked at the display.  
"Who's that?" Tess demanded to know and tried to read the name on, as Evan quickly moved away the cell and rejected the call. Still she managed to catch a glimpse and furrowed her brow. It had only been letters: 'Doc'.

Vincent didn't dare to move, not until she did, and even though Catherine smiled that warmly at him, he had no idea how to act, apart from looking back at her, rather in awe than smiling himself. He wanted to say something, because his pulse started racing again, but as he opened his mouth to do so, she killed the remaining distance and kissed him. Instinctively he brought his hands to her sides, brushing them to her back to pull her close. It wasn't a kiss like the one at the camp fire, more gentle, soft, caring, just like when she had woken up the night before. Still his heart couldn't calm down, not even when she pulled away from him.  
Cat turned away with a low chuckle taking his hand away to catch the final steps.  
"I can't wait to get a shower. You will have to wait for your turn", she said, going forward, which is why she couldn't see Vincent's eyes widening.

"Friend of yours?" Tess asked suspiciously and Evan stared at her blankly, putting the cell back into his pocket.  
"Sort of", he answered, obviously trying to find out by reading her facial features, if she was to be trusted. "More or less a colleague. We're assisting each other in doing research."  
"So he helped you with all of this?" Tess gestured at the computer and the files he had been showing her.  
"Slightly", Evan nodded slowly, not taking his eyes of her. "Let's just say we take interest in the same … field of science."  
She looked at him in the same way, trying to figure out if he was really just fascinated by this, obsessed or even insane.  
"Okay and what has this human animal to do with Cat?" Tess dug deeper.  
When Catherine entered her apartment after opening the door, Vincent hesitated for a moment, hands hiding in his pockets and looking down, shifting from one foot to the other.  
"You know it's broad daylight, right?" he heard her saying down the hall, making him step inside quickly and close the door behind him.

"Heather's not here", Catherine came back into his line of sight, already had gotten rid of her jacket and was taking off her watch, which made Vincent even more nervous.  
"You know that I can take the same way back and go home?" he gestured behind him towards the door.  
"If you want to", was her simple reply and he wasn't able to read her expression as she turned away from him, walking back to her room, where he could hear her sit down onto her bed.  
Vincent stayed where he was. He didn't want to go, yet he probably should. Even though he already had been in her room while she was changing in her bathroom, and he had been absolutely fine, there was a difference now. She would shower. Probably she would expect him to do so as well. Dropping the backpack he had carried along on his shoulder, Vincent knew there was no excuse for not having anything to wear, if Catherine insisted that he could shower here.  
Although not concentrating on it he could hear how she dropped off her shoes and sweatshirt. This wasn't a good idea, was it?  
"Catherine", Vincent spoke out almost panicky, walking towards her room quickly, where her door was still open.  
She just had gotten up from her bed to take off her shirt, looking at him slightly confused as he nearly stormed it.  
"Sorry", he murmured in embarrassment and wanted to turn around, but Cat dropped her arms and stepped towards him worried, just to wrinkle her nose.  
"I can't believe how fast this stench clung to our clothes", she shook her head. "You know what? Get into the shower first, and I try a way to quarantine this."  
Vincent had no idea how she managed to simply focus on things like that when she actually asked him to undress himself in a room next to her. Was she completely oblivious to all of this? He looked at her flabbergasted, as she pulled off his jacket.  
"Now go!" she shooed him and added. "You want a coffee? I'll make a coffee."  
And there it was: a tremble in her voice, showing that she wasn't ignorant at all. In this very moment as Vincent stopped and she passed him, he realized that Catherine still was scared. Afraid that those men would come back and would take her again. Horrified by the idea that this Doc would run tests on her, like her mother had done on him.  
Vincent followed Catherine into the kitchen, where she tried to open the coffee can nervously. Gently he placed his hands onto her shoulders after a moment of hesitation. It was like she had waited for it, since she spun around and nuzzled her face into his chest just one heartbeat after he had touched her.  
And then again he knew it hadn't been the best idea, because she started shivering. Frowning with worry and helplessness Vincent wrapped his arms around her to hold her close.  
"You still stink", he could hear Catherine mumble against his chest.  
"Okay, okay, I'll get a shower", he laughed and reluctantly stepped back, letting go of her, who instantly turned around, avoiding his eyes.  
Vincent swallowed dryly, knowing that she definitely had tears in her eyes. Catherine was really tough, but even fortresses walls like hers could suffer cracks. So he got the backpack from the ground and walked into the bathroom, to get him undressed.  
In the meantime Cat finally got the can open and started to prepare the coffee she had spoken about, just to tense as she heard how the shower was switched on. For a moment she held completely still, just listening how the sound of the water changed as Vincent stepped beneath it.  
Slowly she closed the can and placed it back beneath the counter carefully, to support herself at the rim of it, harking. In one swift movement Cat tuned around, leaning against the bar and staring at the bathroom. All the panic about this Doc, who had kidnapped her, taken her blood and injecting her drugs where washed away with the water of that shower, because Vincent was standing beneath it. She couldn't remember if she had heard him lock the door, and even if he did: there was a second.

Cat had no idea for how long she had been staring at this door, until suddenly the water stopped, making her quickly facing the coffee maker again, which she had forgotten to switch on. Now she realized that her heart was beating fast, taking on an even quicker pace as she felt her face blushing. Vincent was probably drying himself off now.  
"I need to go to the bathroom!" Cat nearly shouted, clinging to the counter now.  
"Uh, okay", she heard him reply and move into her sleeping room.  
Her sleeping room. Probably he was only covered with a towel around his waist.  
Catherine rushed into the room. She didn't need to go to the toilet at all, but to lock herself in. This was just what she did, but on the way to the second door - heading towards her room - she froze, since there were Vincent's clothes on the ground.  
Vincent stood at the other side, just like Catherine pictured, noticing that she didn't move on the other side, didn't shut the door or started showering, or did whatever she needed to get into the bathroom quickly.  
"Are you okay?" he asked concernedly.  
His voice made her snap out of her trance.  
"Y…yes, I'm okay", she answered lowly. "I just need that shower, okay?"  
Vincent's reply was closing the door between them, with his hand staying on the wood for a moment, until the water was switched on. She didn't lock the door, which meant that there were only two inches of timber keeping him away from her. Yet he stayed where he was, harking. His eyes could hear the percolator starting to pour coffee in it's can, someone closing and locking an apartment door, walking down the corridor, some pigeons flying past the building, the janitor dumping trash in the court, and the water crackling down on Catherine's skin. Her breath was heavier now and her speeding heartbeat was slowing down, as she moved beneath the shower, with her head beneath the stream. A sigh of relief and relaxation escaped her throat, giving his bare skin goose bumps, going even deeper.

Vincent tensed as he realized that he still was only covered with a towel around his hips and how terribly awkward it would be if he still wasn't clothed when Catherine got out of the shower. So he finished drying himself off and got some fresh clothes out of his backpack, smelling at them before he put them on.  
Still he couldn't stop listening to the sounds of the bathroom, how she was breathing and moving and fought hard to keep his own pulse from speeding up too much and his thoughts from wandering where they shouldn't go. Eventually he was half-decently dressed and walked down the corridor, past the bathroom, into the kitchen to get himself some coffee. Just as his cup was filled, the shower was switched off and he couldn't help himself to continue listening, picturing what was happening over there right now. Breathing out deeply, he tried to calm down himself. This wasn't the best moment for something like that. And what was he even thinking? He wasn't even fully human. With a loud snapping crack, the cup inside his hand explored into pieces.  
Vincent flinched, shaking his hand as the hot coffee burned in his hand. Clattering the shards of his cup hit the ground, right in front of his bare feet, as he instinctively dodged them. He mumbled a curse and knelled down to pick up the pieces.  
"Everything okay?" he heard Catherine's worried voice - not behind a wooden door. - and his eyes widened.

Slowly he got up behind the counter and looked down the corridor, where she was leaning forward to peek out the door. Her hair was wet and he could see her bare shoulder as she looked at him.  
"Uh, dropped the cup", Vincent pointed towards the ground - his heart drumming against his ribcage - and a strong shift inside of him.  
"Oh, that's okay", Catherine smiled at him and vanished behind the timber - why couldn't she shut the door behind her?  
When he got down again with a rag to swipe up the coffee, he pressed his eyes shut briefly. They were burning. As he opened them again, he knew that they had changed.  
Cat frowned as she started to dry herself off. She had been sure that there had been a snapping sound before the crash. Did Vincent lie to her? But why? Quickening her movements she rubbed of her skin and rushed into her sleeping room, to find some clothes. There was a hunch telling her that something was off. It was too silent. Vincent wasn't talking and she heard no movement in the kitchen. Pulling over her t-shirt Cat eventually turned towards the door that blocked her view down the corridor. She swallowed dryly being absolutely positive now that the cup had cracked before he had dropped it.  
"Vincent?" she asked cautiously. "Are you okay?"  
Somehow she knew that there wouldn't be an answer and the second she decided to trust her instinct she stepped towards the door and opened it, only wearing track pants and a tight shirt. He was standing there, behind the counter, pressing his palms against his temples. Cat barely could Vincent's face, still she knew exactly what was going on. Without thinking she hurried towards him and when he noticed her, his amber eyes stared at her beneath puckered eyebrows.  
"Vincent", she said softly, seeing in his eyes that he recognized her.  
He wasn't that far gone yet, but his features were slightly altered, and his expression told Cat that he still was fighting against it. There was no time to ask for the reason why this was happening, and she didn't as she placed her hands on his shoulders, their eyes clinging to each other.  
There was no change about him. For now. Yet he still was balancing on the edge between being himself and the beast. Right now he seemed to be both and Cat had no idea what to do to pull him back to being human. He dropped his hands looking at her with his head slightly tilted and made her frown slightly. Slowly she moved her hands up his neck, feeling how his pulse was slowing down more and more, beating heavily.  
"Vincent", she said once more and there again was recognition in his eyes and something else, when he brought his head back upright, making Cat feel like losing balance for a split second.  
And then, out of nowhere she really was swiped off her feet as Vincent moved forward, his arms entwining around her waist, crushing his mouth on hers, making her catch for air. There was no thinking, no fighting off as he pressed her against him forcefully, melting his lips into hers. Cat instinctively replied, her hands brushed into his hair and down to his face, holding it as she was kissing back. Beneath her palms she could feel his features shift from solidly muscular to more softly. Pulling away to gasp for air she looked into Vincent's eyes which were still emery-golden, pupils widened. There wasn't one single thought as she pressed her lips back against his, needy to taste them again, sucking on them eagerly. Cat did only notice that he moved them, pushing her against the corridor's wall, as the air was pressed out of her lungs.  
When she leaned her head back, trying to pull in some air, he lifted her up, shoving his hips between her thighs to keep her where he had pinned her, making her wrap her legs around her self-acting, and brushed his lips up her neck. Through Catherine's body ran a feverish shiver as his mouth ran along her thin skin. As he kissed her right beneath her chin her hands moved on their own, digging into his hair, breathing through her mouth.

Even though this stuff Evan was talking about was too strange to believe the facts, files and information he had brought up were simply too strong to deny that there had to me a strange human-animal-crossed species out there and that it had been at several crime scenes. And some of them had been theirs. Yet the worst thing was that Evan had found a sample in Cat's apartment, just after she had been abducted, just after Tess had finally met her partner's secret PI and the way he acted, he obviously was this ominous guy Cat hat been talking about.  
"What did you say? Where did you find that last DNA sample?" she asked. "On the fire escape?"  
"I didn't tell you where I found it", even straightened up and his face darkened.  
Tess knew that she wouldn't like whatever came next, and she really didn't.  
"Her bed."

Vincent's hair felt still wet between Cat's fingers, her own was glued to her skin and soaking her shirt. Wrapping her elbows around his shoulders she tried to pull him closer, and he followed her lead, sliding the tip of his tongue across her neck, before he pressed himself against her. She could feel a resistance right between her legs that didn't really belong there and made. Her breath already had been shallow and for a second she couldn't breathe at all.  
As he lessened the pressure to switch the side of her neck, she eagerly filled her lungs with air, and just when Cat was about to catch a clear thought, she felt his teeth dragging across her skin. She had no idea that her inner tension could rise any higher. Once more she brought her hands to his face, leading it up to her own, to kiss him. It took just one glance to see that his eyes were still burning amber.  
Before she could say or do anything, Vincent kissed her again, bringing his hands that had held her hips all the time, to her back, pressing her against him now. This kiss was different, less rough, needier, and more emotional and it melted her heart away, drowned her lungs.  
Cat didn't realize that they were moving until she heard a door fall into its lock, making her eyes open to see that it had been her sleeping rooms. Vincent was carrying her like she was a feather. Her heart started racing even more rapidly.  
As he placed her onto her bed, they broke their kiss and Cat saw his altered eyes again. Vincent looked right back at her, determined, needy and she bit down her lip, holding his face in her hands.  
"Tell me it's you", she asked tonelessly and his expression barely changed.  
"It's me", he answered with a hoarsely, lightly deeper voice, that send a shiver down her spine and gave her goose bumps, just like the actual words.  
Cat's hands ran to the back of his head and made him kiss her again, like his lips were the only air she really needed. Her fingers shifted down his neck to his shoulders, feeling the muscles tense and move beneath their tips, further down his arms, that were tensed from supporting himself. She brushed them up again as he pulled his lips away from her mouth, sliding them across her neck once more, stealing moan.  
She felt Vincent's reaction beneath her hands, as a tremble moved through his body that made her tense as well, instinctively digging her fingernails into the fabric of his shirt, and his back. And suddenly she could feel his fingertips on her skin, as her sides. Cat inhaled sharply and failed to muffle another moan.  
"Vincent", she exhaled, nearly impatiently, and pulled at his shirt; he didn't wait for another demand, pushed himself up to take it off in one swift move, before Catherine even was able to slide off her own. Maybe because she was too distracted by what she was seeing. She couldn't help but let her fingers run over his chest, as she felt his hands at the rim of her shirt, pulling it up. Automatically she arched her back, helping him to undress her. Looking up at Vincent, his eyes still were like liquid amber. But it was him, he had said so, she could feel him. The sudden realization that it was her, bringing him to the edge of self-control was equally scaring and arousing; she pulled him close the second he had tossed her shirt away. Vincent's skin was burning on her own and it felt insanely good in such an extent that it was almost painful. Cat exhaled sharply before she kissed him again, even needier than before.

Tess had glared as Evan in disbelieve after he had told her, that his last sample had been taken from Cat's bed. There had been thousands of words, insults, and scoldings in her head, but in the end she had said nothing. She would see from the expression in his face that Even knew that in her eyes he had crossed the line way too far, no matter if he had meant well or had been worried.

So she simply had left, pulling out the phone she had bought only for Cat to call her, which she had done, almost an hour ago. There had also been a text, telling that they were on their way home. Vincent. What did he have to do with all of this? If he was helping out Cat off the books, being at those crime scenes as well, did he know about this cross-species thing? Was this a part of their private investigation concerning her Mom? She had so many questions. With one move of her finger the speed dialed the other secret phone, while walking down the corridor and out of the station. Waiting several tones Tess figured that Cat wouldn't take the call for whatever reasons. With a sigh she hung up as her official phone rang. It was an unknown caller.  
"Vargas?" she took it and an unfamiliar, male voice replied, speaking smoothly: "As in Detective Tess Vargas" - it wasn't a question - "I believe that I have useful information about the case you are currently working on."  
"Who is this?" she frowned and continued walking, out of the station's parking lot.  
"We have mutual friends, I believe", was the answer. "I do not like to talk on a phone, do you mind if we meet in person?"  
Tess wasn't sure if she should like this or not. That this man was being so shade about his identity wasn't helping.  
"Doc", she figured and guessed alike, not waiting for an affirmation. "I would suggest that you come to the station then. There we can talk."  
Suddenly a black notch back pulled over.  
"I prefer something more private", the man on the other end said and a dark looking suit got out of the shotgun, opening the door to the backseat.  
She couldn't see who was sitting there, but she could tell. With a furrowed brow Tess looked at that guy in front of her, who uncomfortably looked like some kind of agent. Hanging up, she got inside the car, in which a good looking blond man, probably round about twenty years older than her welcomed her with a friendly smile.

It is a strange need to hold someone even closer when there isn't any space left to diminish and yet it's there, yet it feels like there is something still holding you apart creating a painful ache that increases if you don't try. Everything else decreases into numbness, shifts far away and the only thing that matters is what you feel, what you touch, what you desperately fight for getting closer.  
This was how Cat felt as she moved her arms around Vincent's back, clawing her fingers into his shoulders, kissing him frantically, when he moved his body slightly against hers. There was no doubt about it that he wanted her as much as she wanted him. She could feel it against her crotch and panted for air as he ground himself against her, reminding Cat of it with every tiny movement of his hips. Her right hand lost itself in his hair again when his lips moved across her neck. She felt him breathe heavily onto her skin.  
They both didn't hear the buzzing sound of the phone Tess had given Catherine.  
Vincent moved his hands up and down her sides, like he wanted to study each inch of her skin, every rib, every line. He didn't really think, all that he was able to perceive were her reactions and what he felt and nothing else mattered. Nothing but the taste of her lips, the flavor of her skin, how soft it felt beneath his mouth. This ache inside him to have her close, to hold her, to be with her like that was stronger as everything else.  
"Catherine"; he breathed out and felt the goose bumps he created by just saying her name.  
Slowly he moved further down, kissing her chest, between her breasts, down across her stomach, feeling her fingers clawing into his hair and how she trembled beneath him. Vincent knew that he wouldn't have to ask. Not even when Catherine tensed as his hands reached the rim of her track pants. It was him who hesitated.  
She fought not to arch her back when he kissed his ways downwards. Everything Cat thought of was how he felt, how all of this felt, like the room and air was frozen and his skin was blazing fire. And then he stopped moving ad his fingertips slipped beneath her track pants. It drove her insane. Just to realize why he might be hesitating the moment he pulled down the fabric. As he moved up again his jeans grazed along her skin, but she didn't really feel it as her mind started racing, almost panicky.

Vincent noticed that something had changed. Catherine's pulse, the way she breathed. Her mind was back, pulling along his, as he started to worry, started to think. Still his body didn't care for his sanity returning and he watched his hands move along her skin, how he breathed her in, feeling her that close. Yet he started asking himself what the hell he was doing.  
Cat caught his face again to kiss him, even though she was trying to fix the problem she just encountered. Then she sensed that he was tensing slightly and looked at him. His eyes were back to brown, looking at her questioning, doubting, almost scared. Instantly she asked herself if he had picked up her trying to solve the situation.  
"Vincent", she exhaled, trying to explain quickly. "I just… don't…"  
Then they spoke simultaneously: "I'm sure Heather has some…." - "We shouldn't do this." Just to stare at each other.  
Catherine was still holding his face and even when he shifted, attempting to move away from him, she didn't let go: "No", she determined. "I … I want this. … And I know that you want it too. Just …. I'm the one being to reasonable."  
Vincent frowned, breathing heavily. Still his worry was subduing whatever had made him do this in the first place.  
"No", she repeated again, pulling his face to hers and kissed him once, twice, increasingly desperate, making his heart speed up rapidly, even though he tried to compose himself, her lips just swiped away his efforts like they were fresh snow on the pavement.  
As he gave in, kissing her back, he had no idea why he had stopped. Only for a moment. Her hand was at the back of his head again and she could feel her skin against his, just the touch alone seemed intoxicating. Yet he tried to move away.  
"Catherine", he mumbled against his lips in a weak effort to reason with her.  
"You do not move", was her answer, still kissing him, as she pulled up her legs to get off the bed, and taught him with her index finger. "I'll be right back."  
Vincent simply looked at her helplessly, in his eyes a slight golden glow, hands clawed into the sheets. He knew that he had to go and he didn't want to.


	5. Seven Devils

◊ Chapter 5 ◊ Seven Devils ◊ [NC-17]

Tess had no idea why the hell she had gotten into that car to speak with that man. Even though he almost looked like he was someone who most likely would be elected as Senator, there was something about this tall, blond, athletic around-fifty guy that gave her the creeps. Maybe his self-confident smile with this hint of roguishness tap dancing at the corners of his mouth, that said he knew everything worth to know.

"So, Mr. …" Cat's parter furrowed on brow, expecting he would introduce himself properly and earned nothing but a snaky smile in return.  
"Doc", he simply replied, acting like he was kindly patient, like she was s little child that hadn't learned her lesson yet.  
Tess pursed her lips, trying to relax her jaw and most of all keep her tongue at bay, since her guts told her she should be more careful with this guy.  
"So, you said you have some useful information about my case? Do you know the victim?" she asked after a pause and rocked slightly as the car obviously started moving.  
The bad feeling at the soles of her feet ever since she had gotten into this car, started creeping up her skin, but nothing was shown in her features, as she coolly glanced to Doc: "Are you trying to kidnap a police woman?"  
"Quite on the contrary, Detective", Doc replied with a smirk. "I'm just giving you a lift to where you were headed."  
"And where would that be?" Tess quickly retorted.  
"Your partner's apartment", was his answer.  
She wouldn't ask why he knew that. However she was sure that Evan wouldn't have called him to spill that he had dropped the penny on her. He wouldn't, would he? Tess narrowed her eyes slightly.  
"Well, Detective", Doc ripped her out of her thoughts. "I wasn't referring to your murder case." He was still smiling. "But to the kidnapping."  
Cat's partner froze.  
"I have to analogize that this venture went a little out of hand", the man continued with the corners of his mouth pinned up to a frozen smirk. "See …"  
"You took her?" Tess almost snarled and reached for her gun.  
A shock ran through her body as if she had touched a high voltage current wire. Her weapon was gone. She hadn't even noticed.  
"Nah, nah", Doc closed his eyes briefly to shake his head, like a teacher again. "I'm here to explain, not to get arrested. See, you wouldn't be able to do so or to hold me anyhow. I do not exist."

Cat scurried to Heather's room which lay in absolute chaos, but that wasn't important. She hasted to her sister's bed table and rummaged through it, while Vincent was sitting up and pulling at his hair, fighting with himself what he should do. There was no doubt about what he wanted. There was only question torturing his mind: was it safe? He had no idea if he would be able to control himself or how. Ever since Muirfield had changed him there was no thinking about this. Vincent was about to panic. He already had almost lost if just because she had been showering next door. And now he could hear her going through her sister's drawer, as he was clenching his fists, breathing in deeply, doing his very best to restrain himself, realizing that he needed her in much more ways than she knew.  
Triumphantly grinning Cat eventually pulled out what she had been looking for. Suddenly flurry hit her like a train. This wasn't something she was used to. She wasn't like her sister. As a matter of fact her last so called boyfriend dumped her because she didn't want to jump his bones right from the start. And now she felt like the complete opposite. Silently Cat scolded herself for allowing her mind to take over. No, not this time. She shook her head and ran back to her room where Vincent was still there, looking at her like a rabbit caught in the headlights, all tensed up his his hands clenched into fists. Cat instantly knew and slid onto the bed, taking his face into her hands to kiss him.  
Instinctively Vincent wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer a little more harshly than he had intended. Yet she didn't mind but pressed him down onto the mattress. Still he was doubting, unsure, uncertain, if this really was a good idea, even though her hot lips seemed to exhaust his mind. Even more as her right hand brushed down slowly from his face along his neck to his chest, leaving a track of heat on his skin and made him shiver.  
Cat felt every fiber, every muscle twitching beneath her fingertips and at her side. She couldn't stop kissing him, sucking at his lips, knowing that he was reacting that extremely to her. Somewhere in a dark corner of her mind she knew that she probably was playing with fire, testing him, most certainly torturing him, because he had to restrain himself so much more than anybody else. Never she would admit how it made her feel.

JT had no freaking idea how he had been able to start class and picking up the last topic. He felt like uncoiling what he was used to while a part of him was locked away somewhere baning against the inside of his head, going postal. It was when he made the students calculate as he pulled out his cell with an insanely shaky hand, trying to type a text to Vincent. He swallowed dryly. The way he was pushing the buttons he would probably need much more than just a minute.

Tess glared at Doc like she was either expecting him to shoot her or burst out in laughter. Non of it happened. That man was continuing to smile at her friendly, being the good teacher as which he obviously saw himself.  
"So…. explain then", she managed to bring out - what Doc had waited for, since he seemed to relax even more and stretched a little, before he started talking: "See, Detective Vargas, as a dear associate of yours found out, your partner Detective Chandler is involved into some … not quite innocuous situation."  
Tess blinked. it had to be about Cat's mom, like Vincent had told her.  
"Catherine is not only moving into the focus of one or two secret operations that might endanger her, but also could have been exposed to highly hazardous substances", Doc continued and made her frown heavily. "See there was no time for explanation or discussion, because she is consorting with dangerous subjects as well. I had to keep sure that she wasn't … infected."  
Now Tess blinked as this man, this agent, or whatever he was told her that her best friend and partner, was keeping bad company, putting herself in danger not telling her about all of this at all. She couldn't believe it, she was refusing to believe it, but still there was doubt, still there was Vincent. What was his part in all of this? Was he a dangerous subject?  
"Infected with what?" Tess tried to sneak upon the truth by faking that she believed him, yet she could see in that eyes which were piercing right through her, that he figured it out.  
"I cannot tell you, otherwise I would be forced to kill you", he replied almost charmingly. "But I can say that she is absolutely fine.  
"So that it what you needed that blood sample for", Cat's partner tilted her head slightly and earned an approving nod.  
"And why are you talking to me about all of this and not to my partner?" she dug deeper.  
"Because she wouldn't believe me." Figures.

After Vincent had pulled her against him too strongly in his eyes he didn't dare to take the lead in anything. He had brought up his hands into Catherine's long dark hair that fell across them like soaked silk. Still feeling her right hand on his stomach, he felt helpless, not knowing what he should do. He was scared that he wouldn't be able to control himself, that he would hurt her; yet again she didn't seem to even think about that.

Then suddenly her hand was at his belt and Vincent froze in tension. It was impossible. What was he even thinking? His heart was pounding against his ribcage like it was the beast itself trying to claw its way out of him. He could feel it, even taste it on his tongue, how it shifted beneath his skin, claiming dominance.  
"Shh", he could hear her, Catherine, feel her fingers on his lips and his eyes flew open, staring up into hers in their burning amber color.  
Vincent hadn't even noticed that she had straddled his lap, not touching.  
"It's okay", she whispered, smiling down at him with flushed cheeks, swollen lips, and widened pupils. "I know you're not going to hurt me, Vincent."  
Cat knew perfectly well what he was thinking, what he was scared of, but she didn't know how much effort it took him, to hold it back. She had no idea that he could feel the Beast's yearn, that it wanted to rip her apart. Metaphorically. Once thinking about this, the pictures didn't want to stop, what it wanted to do with her; what he wanted to do with her. She had no idea. And he couldn't tell, because he would scare her away. And most of all, he didn't want this. This first time to be like that.  
Cat pulled her finger away and kissed him again, gently, breathing in deeply as she finished to open the belt and continued with opening the button of his jeans.  
There was a buzz and it came from Vincent's backpack. It wasn't ongoing, had to be a text. Still it was distracting enough that it made him snap out of the vertigo that the Beast had pulled him into. Until Cat lowered down her hips, since she couldn't wait to feel him, just when she had pulled down the zipper. This simple touch was a burning heat spreading into every corner, every inch of their bodies. Vincent's fingers clawed into Catherine's hair, crushing his mouth against hers and sending out his tongue across her lips. Involuntarily she slowly rocked across his crotch, forcing them both to moan lowly. He exhaled sharply as he denied the Beast to break out. At least fully. There was no way back now.

Tess eyes wandered off to the front seats where two big guys were sitting.  
"I'm not in her situation and I don't believe you as well", she finally stated looking back at Doc, who still was looking at her friendly and nodded.  
"I do understand that, Detective", he responded. "But in the last months your partner has experienced and done things that will lead her to the conclusion that she can believe my words, most certainly through you. And after all" - Doc leaned back - "I have been fully honest with you and with Doctor Marks right from the start. I do not mean you harm, but I cannot guarantee the same for Catherine if she decides to follow the path she has chosen now."  
Tess glance darkened.  
"This isn't a thread", Doc lifted his hands. "It is a warning. And it is most certainly not me she should be worried about. I'm just trying to … make things better."  
Cat's partner narrowed her eyes again. She didn't know this guy, yet he obviously did know about her, about Cat, about Evan. Did he know about Vincent? Was this about him?  
"Who else ten?" she crossed her arms in front of her chest, leaning back as well for the first time.  
"She knows", Doc replied coolly. "Please do not misunderstand me. But it is for your own safety that you know as less as possible and it would be wise for you if you would not investigate any further in both of your cases. The FBI will have taken the corpse anyway when you return to the station."  
Tess blinked at him in disbelief. This hasn't been the first time in the last few months. Maybe the last one had been somehow linked to Cat's mother as well. Vincent definitely knew more about this. He had told her. Something told her that he wasn't just helping out. He had to be involved, to be part of this. After all he was officially dead. Was he a threat as well?  
"You already know more than I have expected, do you?" Doc stated, tilting his head lightly, almost a glint of awe in his eyes, or was it respect?  
He rather looked at her as if she was a monkey that had used a stick as a tool for the first time.

If there was any air to breathe it felt liquid in their lungs and like burning ice on their skins. Yet everything around them was dull, their senses numbed, only to feel the other and nothing else. Even Vincent's sharp senses were drowned in this moment; he was blind and deaf to anything else than her.

It was pure instinct to lift up his hips as she grazed her crotch against hers, increasing the pressure, the painful pleasant torture that was feeling her close like that and still not enough. They both pulled away their mouths gasping for air, looking into each others widened eyes. A shiver ran through Cat's body as his were almost golden and she stopped moving, making him squirm slightly. She reached out and searched for the condom that she had taken from Heather's room, while looking at him, breathing with her mouth open. Vincent's hands brushed down from her hair to her neck, making her gasp slightly as they moved further down across her chest, her breasts. She instinctively closed her eyes as he paused briefly and opened them again as they ran to her sides. He flipped her over that quickly, that she couldn't even gasp for air.  
Catherine was still feeling around but he could just wait; he wouldn't be able to hold himself back. So she flipped her onto her back and started kissing his way down, chest, ribcage, belly, sliding his fingers over her body like he wanted to memorize every inch of her skin, distracting her from finding what was most important.  
And then the doorbell rang.  
They both instantly froze. Cat blinked but Vincent was cringing. Briefly they looked at each other questioning.  
"Cat! It's me!" Tess yelling through the door, knocking. "Are you okay? Cat!"  
Her voice was worried, maybe even more than that. Catherine pressed her head back into the pillow exhaling before she was about to get up.  
"Dammit", she hissed and took Vincent's face in both hands, looking into his eyes.  
"Cat!" Tess hammered against the timber now.  
"I'm sorry", Catherine whispered. "I'm sorry", she repeated, turning her head away.  
"Gimme a sec!" she shouted back, looking at Vincent again to kiss him.  
A kiss he didn't reply, knelling on the bed like he was paralyzed and Cat knew that this was probably the only possibility for him to stay calm.  
Quickly she slid of her bed and grabbed her clothes, closing the door behind her, while trying to get herself dressed.

It was broad daylight and almost midday and the cruelty of this reality shone bright and golden through Catherine's sleeping room windows. Vincent was completely tense and all he could do was listen to her walking down the corridor while putting on her jeans and t-shirt to get the door. Her breath was shallow and heart was beating fast, faster than Tess'.

Vincent still had her taste on his lips, her scent in his nose and closing his eyes had just the opposite effect he had aimed for. So he pulled them open again, knowing that they would be fiery golden still.  
"What's up?" Catherine said as the door was open and her partner marched in.  
"Seriously?" Tess asked looking through the apartment, or at least what she could see right now and turned around. "Are you alone?"  
"What? Why?" Cat replied, knowing that her cheeks had to be burning red, feeling how her body wanted Tess out and herself back in the sleeping room.  
Her heart stopped for a second as she could smell Vincent on her. Instantly her pulse raced and she breathed in deeply. Her partner figured it out just by looking at her through narrowed eyes. And then she did something Cat hadn't expected: she headed for the sleeping room, followed by her panicked partner, who almost ran into her as Tess stopped right in front of her door.  
"Is he in there?" she asked lowly, but Cat had no idea what she should say.  
Her partner turned around, looking at her earnestly, waiting. Still there was no answer, but a helpless and pleading look. So Tess reached for the door knob and pushed the door open, just as Cat brought out: "Wait!"  
Apart from the messed up sheets on her bed the room was empty.  
"It's a complete chaos", she added and Tess looked at her with her eyes rolling, but there wasn't a smirk on her lips.  
"This is serious", she exhaled. "I ran into that guy who kidnapped you."  
Cat's reddened face turned white in less than a second.

Vincent didn't hear any of the conversation. He already was sprinting down the stairs of Catherine's apartment building. Backpack on his back, shoes not even tied, jacket in his hand. And he ran, taking two or three steps at once, claws at the wall making sure he wouldn't trip. He was racing against his own heart that threatened to catch up on him. Vincent had to be faster or the beast would take him over fully. What the hell had he been thinking?

Vincent had ran through the sewer system of New York until he was exhausted. It would have take quite some time if he hadn't allowed the beast to take over. Deep inside the labyrinth, where it was almost safe. Still he had been worried, almost scared what would happen if he hadn't let go. Until then he had completely forgotten about the text or his cell phone to begin with.

Heading home with hunger Vincent still felt tense, but it wasn't as excruciating as before, somewhat bearable. There had been a few calls from Catherine. Reading her name made his jaw clench and he knew that he would have to stay away from her. God knew for how long. And also JT had called a few times. He skipped the texts Catherine had send him and opened the first one: from JT, when he was about to enter the apartment from she side entry, after crossing the old warehouse where he was usually training to get the edge of. His best friend obviously was home - at least his hearing told him that.  
"Listen, I'm sorry that I …" Vincent started but stopped immediately, freezing in his movements as he heard a treacherous clicking sound. "Whoa, hey it's me", he lifted his hands, the cell in the right one as Jt was aiming at him with a gun - a real one.  
The weapon was shaking, almost making noises as his best friend trembled. Not until then Vincent noticed the cold sweat from his room mate, glistening forehead. It took JT a few seconds to carefully lower the gun and face it into another direction, so that Vincent leaped over and got the gun out of his hands, securing it.  
"What the hell happened?" he asked aghast.  
"While you were playing bodyguard for Catherine, her suitor thought of giving me a ride and taking all of our files about you", JT answered with a shaky and hoarse voice. "And offering me to work for him."  
"What?" Vincent almost shouted out in disbelief and a pinch of panic.  
"You could almost think that they went after her so that they could get to me", his friend continued and he wasn't sure if JT was just musing or taking a statement.  
He didn't take time to think about it, but run up the stars.  
"They were absolutely thorough", he heard from downstairs. "Though they left the devices. I'm pretty sure they took the copies and hard drives."  
Jt's voice came closer: "The security system was activated and they still walked in. You heard what I said?"  
Vincent turned around, breathing heavily and clenching his fists, and looked back to his best friend who came up the stairs now.  
"This Doc asked me for my assistance in his research. He said that he created you."

JT was pacing through the whole place while Vincent tried concentrating on the wires in front of him, fixing their security system as good as his knowledge allowed him. Still he wasn't a technician. After taking the flashlight in his mouth, with which he lit up the cable mess in front of him, he exhaled: "Would you calm down and put the gun away?"  
"I can't", his best friend replied and stopped, shrugging with his arms, before he left them drop. "You know I was always freaking out about the idea that this would happen. And now … I don't know." JT turned, placing the gun on the kitchen table. "I have to cancel my date. I have to cancel my life. I can't pull anyone else into this. You know what this means. We have to…"  
"I have to leave. You don't", Vincent cut him off, still staring into the knot in front of him. "This guy seems to be reasonable enough to stop going after you when he realizes that we broke contact. You've done enough."  
His room mate just looked at him, speechless, swiping the sweat off his forehead, as he tried to find the right argument, before he opened his mouth, just to be prevented from speaking out his thoughts: "Listen, I know", Vincent got up, still avoiding to look at him. "You said we're in this together, but we aren't. You've put your own life on hold for almost ten years. It's enough. You won't be harmed if they realize I'm gone and don't keep taps on you or Catherine. It's probably really the best if I just leave." He placed the screwdriver on top of the rack.  
"What happened?" JT asked, being more concerned about the look on Vincent's face than his own trauma - as usual. "Seriously. What happened?"

Tess had been there for a few hours and obviously no one seemed to miss her at the station, expecting her to investigate the murder of the man who already had been officially dead for more than a decade. So they spent the time discussing what had happened and what Doc had told them. After Tess had left Cat still sat at the counter for some time holding her mug in both hands even though the coffee was long cold. She had tried to reach Vincent. Several times. Somehow she had to admit that she was relieved when he took none of the calls so that she send him a few texts. That they needed to talk. Obviously they had to, but not just about what had happened and almost happened. She shuddered. Cat had wanted this so badly and remembering it gave her hot chills every time her thoughts went into that direction. And when she thought about what Doc had told Tess about the possibility of being infected with something. She couldn't helb but think that he was implying Vincent could be contagious. Frowningly she denied herself to believe that. His DNA had been altered, this wasn't viral, was it? However her mother had been an virologist. She remembered the notes she had been reading. Notes that she had handed over to JT. Her Mom's olive notebook. They had used a virus to alter the DNA. Infecting the human body and reprogramming its genes. So could these still be active? Was this the reason why Vincent kept mutating?  
Cat got up and stretched. She didn't want to think about all of this anymore. Letting out a deep sigh she walked towards her bedroom; the door was still open. Yet she couldn't enter only stare at her bed that was still showing the aftermath of what had happened.

Vincent turned his back towards his best friend, flexing his hands as he felt the strong urge to crush something. He could feel JT's eyes on his back, sense his bafflement in the air and heard him tension in his body was back again and deep inside he knew that it wouldn't vanish into thin air. At least not for a while.

"I fugued out again", Vincent tried to put this into words, in a sense that didn't tell everything but enough. "I had to."  
He could tell by JT's heart rate that he wasn't taking the news so well. Luckily he didn't know the whole truth yet.  
"What? Why?" he moved towards him, cautiously though. "What happened?"  
"I was with Catherine", Vincent answered slowly, still doing his best to find the best way to tell without telling.  
JT kept quiet, either waiting for him to continue or digesting his words to give them some sort of sense. Maybe it had been better if he just had continued questioning him, since it was simply too obvious: Catherine was always the one grounding him, calming him down, not the opposite. Apart from yesterday. There weren't many options to explain why it hadn't helped this time. However though JT inhaled sharply there wasn't coming anything from him. Supposedly he didn't want to know.  
"Stop fixing it", Vincent's best friend eventually said, referring to the security system. "If you want to go under for some days I'll talk to one of my colleagues about making a project with his students. He had asked my anyways if he can - quote - use my playgrounds."  
"I was talking about leaving for good", Vincent frowned, facing JT now, who obviously knew that: "My ass, you're not leaving." Still this wasn't convincing enough. "I didn't go through these ten years so that you run just because I'm freaking out. I've never been kidnapped before, okay? I'm lacking of experience here. Give me some credit. I might be your only friend, Vincent, but you're my only friend too, and girl-friends, or what ever you call that between Catherine and you, don't count. We're buddies, okay? We're … like brothers You're like a brother to me. You're staying."  
JT's voice had been hoarse and trembly saying that and he turned around quickly, still shaky, but his experience from this morning wasn't the only reason anymore.  
"I have to teach class", he said, after clearing his throat and grabbing his bag. "And you'd better be still here, when I'm back. I'll make sure to hire some nerds, willing to tinker."  
There was a tiny smile lurking in the corners of Vincent's mouth as JT left.

Vincent heard her approach the building as soon as she was in his hearing range - which was a little less than a mile, because of the walls and other construct material swallowing the sound. Catherine came by foot, probably had parked the car further away, walking around before she eventually headed for JT's place.  
However the second he heard her, identifying her by the way she walked, the rhythm of her breath, her pulse, he tensed. His own heart sped up instantly. This wasn't unusual if it hadn't been the double rate of his normal beat. Vincent was used to her heightening his pulse, but not like that, and he knew why.  
With each step she took a memory from earlier came back, like a flash before his eyes and through his body, his nervous system. Instinctively his spread out his senses, inhaling deeply, trying to catch her scent. His muscles clenched and he caught his breath. Vincent had needed hours to get back to normal and she annihilated his efforts just by being within a three-quarter mile radius.  
As much as he loved to see her and have her around him, all the reasons he had felt that way had been negated. Vincent had never truly dared to think about being with her like that because he had been afraid what this would do to him.  
Yet when his thoughts had wandered of it never had woken his non-human side. Thinking about her, having her sitting next to him had been so completely and wonderful human. And now all of this was gone, because his human part was siding with the monster now.

Cat entered the place without tripping off the alarm, which made her a little uncomfortable, and that feeling grew as it was extremely quiet. Either there wasn't anyone here, something that she hadn't expected, or Vincent was hiding.  
Like it or not they had to talk and not just about what had happened and almost happened, but also about the information Tess had given her. There were to many facts left to chance, left to hope and that just wasn't Cat's choice of living. She didn't despise anything more than not knowing all the cards on the table of fate.  
"Vincent?" she asked cautiously and her voice sounded awfully loud in this seemingly forlorn space; and somehow it reminded her of the first time she had met him - not counting the very first time.  
That feeling got to her, when she had slowly gone up the stairs, after opening the mesh door at the top of it and looking at the figure which was hiding in the shadows, only a ray of light pearling of its skin, illuminating an amber eye.

Cat slowly closed the mesh behind her, moving her hands up to show him her palms, meaning no harm. The only thing in her mind was worry now. She hadn't seen him like that for some time; she had thought that he had managed to get it more under control. Yet here they were as if Doc had foreseen it. She swallowed dryly.  
"Vincent, it's me", Cat said softly, taking step by step to move towards him.  
She could feel her heart beat in her neck. This look. In that moment she knew she had been lying to herself. Cat had seen him like this before, almost like this. His eyes. She topped moving instantly, feeling how her heart made a jump, how she held her breath for a second.  
Vincent shifted, tilting his head slightly, making the rays dance across his face and showing her that he wasn't quite himself. Catherine was paralyzed and tried to think. He wouldn't hurt her, he never had, never would.  
"Vincent, it's me", she repeated more determinedly, trying to reach him, yet her guts told her that he already knew and that it was something else inside her that made her want to believe he didn't.  
Cat tried to relax, but she couldn't really, trying to figure out the reason why he had changed and seemed to not be himself. Had something happened to him? Had he encountered something or someone? The answer was already there but she kept denying, kept refusing to believe it had been her.  
Then he advanced from the shadow, and she could see what she really hadn't seen for some time. It made her cringe and ache for comforting him, calming him down. Yet he was proceeding slowly, moving towards her, staring at her as if he was studying her every move. There was something so strange about it, but Cat had no idea where to put it, not even as her heart started racing more heavily and her breath turned shallow. A beast was approaching her and everyone else would have either run or pulled weapon. All she wanted was to enfold his scarred face in her hands. And as he stood right in front of her, towering over her it was exactly what she did.

Just like she remembered: his skin was more leathery now, thicker, his jaw more distinct. Instead of being scared or taken aback she was in awe how much his appearance changed, when Vincent was like that. Catherine was simply incapable of fear when it came to him. Gently her thumbs brushed across his cheeks as she smiled softly at him. Yet her heart wouldn't stop racing, even though she still refused to realize that something was different this time.  
The insight hit her like the moth a flame. He didn't stop closing in like he always used to, invading her personal space like it wasn't hers to keep and Cat hadn't much room to retreat. Only two steps and her back was pressed into the mesh with Vincent following her and closing in.  
Her hands were still enfolding his face as his nose touched hers, brushing along her cheek as he inhaled her deeply, creating goose bumps all over her body. This was different. Cat held her breath, dropped her hands and did not dare to move, not even as she felt his lips at the side of her neck, barely touching her. He moved down slowly towards her collar bone, breathing hotly onto her skin.  
"Vincent", she whispered, finally managing to bring out something, but it just made him stop for a moment, to growl lowly - it almost sounded like a deep purr.  
So Cat lifted up one hand again, stroking from his temple to his back of his head, making him tilt it slightly. Even though she couldn't see it, she knew that he had closed his eyes, breathing a little more relaxed. He recognized her, that was obvious, since his behavior wasn't hostile. Still her heart wouldn't stop racing.  
The air made a sharp sound as she pulled it in through her teeth, because he grazed his up her neck, just to move back down with his tongue. There was no escape as he pressed himself against her and Cat's body into the mesh, his hands at her sides, claws piercing through her shirt beneath her jacket.  
She pressed the back of her head against the mesh, instinctively, feeling his lips almost kissing her. Almost. Rather a mixture of nibbling, biting, sucking. Cat felt helpless. She had no idea what to do. This was wrong. So wrong. Still the memories from earlier flooded her mind and her body remembered all to well. Barely she was able to muffle a moan that tried to escape her mouth as his claws slid beneath her shirt, slightly catching across her stomach, her sides, her back. There was no way of denying what Vincent or the beast, or both, was up to.

"Vincent", Catherine gasped out, placing her hands onto his lower arms which were wrapped around her now, pulling her against him and shielding her from the wire of the mesh.  
His reply was simple. Teeth sinking into her flesh, just enough to send a hot sting through her nervous system without rupturing her skin. Cat clawed into his arms, inhaling sharply, making it even worse as she felt his claws bruising her back and him pressing against her. Her skin felt like burning against frozen air.  
Catherine felt paralyzed and captured in his arms. Even though she didn't think of it, she could feel how her hands scratched up his arms, to his shoulders beneath his shits. Her lungs seemed to inhale water as she was breathing shallowly, feeling his teeth and lips grate along her throat.  
Opening her mouth to pull in some air, she pressed her head against the mesh once more, unconsciously pressing her lower body against his - at least her conscience told her as his mouth moved down to her chest, his hands at her tail-bone, pulling her hips towards him. Instinctively her hands ripped away from him, clawing into the mesh to keep her balance, forcing her to stare at him as he licked his way down, bringing one hand up to rip open her shirt, making her flinch. Vincent simply ignored it, seemingly intoxicated by the taste of her skin.  
Cat tried to push herself up again, but there was no chance; he had pinned her right there where she was as his claws grazed down her back to the rim of her jeans. The pace of her heart was unbearably, painfully fast, knowing what would happen right now. Waves of heat and cold washed over her as she was scared and aroused alike, having no idea what she should do or not do.  
Just when she was about to say something she lost the ability to speak, to think as she heard him growl lowly; the sound vibrating against her skin. His hands brushed up her chest, across her breasts, eagerly exploring her body, while he was continuously nipping her thin skin.  
Somewhere in the shadows of her mind a thought tried to gain her attention, like tiny glimpse in the darkness, just to get drowned by a forceful movement of his arms. He had flipped her around. Her forehead hit the mesh and her fingers clawed around the wire. While her mind still was trying to process what was happening, her body already knew, covered in goose bumps, breathing heavily, trembling from tension.

Everything seemed to slow down. Catherine tried to think but every single thought slipped away, she wasn't able to hold them. She could feel Vincent's claw-like hands at her sides, moving down to the rim of her jeans as if he was impossibly patient and still it was like she wasn't in control of her body, like she was icebound.

As she spoke out his name again it was barely a gasp, even Cat wasn't sure if she had heard it and she doubted that Vincent would even comprehend. Then her ear hit the sound of fabric ripping. The second she needed to understand lasted an eon: that it had been her jeans, since he obviously hadn't a thing for knobs. A pull made her body waver but again her mind was too slow. The cold that hit the skin of her thighs was merely a hint.  
It were his fingertips, and the tips of his claws running up her legs and rear to her tail bone that make her hit reality. Cat tensed. Yet as she instinctively wanted to straighten up, pull her up with her hands still entwining with the mash in front of her, he held her down with one hand on her back, claws piercing into her flesh. Even though her mind told her the opposite yelling and rambling, she couldn't move and she didn't want to. Realization was a cold icy shock, that hit her body relentlessly for a moment, as she felt how she bended her back, arching her hips towards him.  
Knowing that he wanted her that badly so that he was incapable of controlling himself, instantly covered her in a thin film of moistness. There wasn't any hesitation and somehow she knew that even if she hadn't moved like this he hadn't thought twice. His other hand was at her hip, holding her in an iron grasp, letting go off her just briefly. Briefly until she felt him at the hottest point of her body.  
Cat gasped, just to inhale dramatically as she felt him entering her with one forceful movement, spreading a fiery wave of a slight pain and amplifying pleasure through her body. She could hear her moan join his low growl as he moved deeper inside.  
Both his hands were at her hips now, pulling her against him, hers clutching against the mash to keep her balance. Noisily she tried to pull in some air, while he still was parting her, until suddenly he stopped. Cat's breath turned shallow and quick, closing her eyes her body gave in to the sensation of feeling him inside her like that: throbbing and hard. This little pause wasn't relaxing at all, it made everything worse, overexcited her body while her mind seemed to regain the ability of thinking, reminding her of why she had come here, reminding her in which state he was in. If her heart would have been able to beat faster it would have now.

No matter how fast her thoughts raced, they were too quick for them to have sense and even if she was able to catch one, her throat wasn't following her orders, not forming words when she opened her mouth, which only function was breathing right now.  
The first move felt more like graze turning into something more exciting, an ache building up just as you finally scratch and itch that was tormenting you for too long. With each thrust is was taking over more and more of her body. Heat spreading, flooding her cold limps, electrifying her skin. Cat felt like drowning and still breathing in frozen air and his low growls where like stings teasing her body to heighten what it sensed.  
Her muscles started clenching as he kept on thrusting inside her, building up a complete new and blazing tension that needed to be released desperately. Gasping for air that didn't fill her lungs her body was aching to meet his, arching towards him. The sounds he made were almost like hers, more deeper more beastly and that glimpse of a thought added a pinch of fear flooding her veins.  
While one of his hands stayed at her hip, determining the pace, holding her where she was, the other one moved up her side. A low moan escaped her throat as she shifted a little, increasing the pressure, as he leaned further down, forcing her to bend her back even more. She whiled briefly as the shift made her feel him even more intensely inside her.  
Suddenly the mesh clattered as he clawed into it as well. She groaned as he kept on thrusting into her, building her tension up higher, mixing ache and rush into a vertigo of excitement. She didn't want him to stop. Not now. Feeling his breath on her cheek and neck send another wave of heat through her body, shoving her closer to that edge making her face the abyss she feared and longed to fall off.  
"Oh God", she heard herself exhale making him prod into her more violently and she knew Vincent could hear her, comprehend her. Definitely he reacted to her more than she gave him credit for.  
Sensing his other hand move from her hip to her stomach leaving a hot, burning trail, it was as if he wanted to feel himself moving inside of her, pressing her up against him. Cat realized that she didn't have to bend all the way, as he was so much taller. Again her muscles clenched as she balanced on the edge, feeling the breathtaking excitement right before the fall. She didn't want to go over, not now.

The entire building was dark and cold there were no other sounds apart from theirs echoing between the bare brick walls and structural steel work. The mesh started hurting her fingers, yet her mind was oblivious to it now and she didn't care.  
Not now. Catherine needed to savor this feeling a little longer and to see his face, his eyes. No matter how exciting this raw and brute experience was, how amazing it felt to be desired like this, she just had to face him. Yet there was no way of turning around and as she tried to his growl sent a shiver down her spine and her almost over.  
Then at once the pace changed and made her clench that heavily that even her lungs didn't work for a moment. Vincent's movement became slower, yet deeper and harder, his breath more shallow. He was growling lowly, pushing out the air through his teeth right next to her head. Cat felt close to pain, grazing along this feeling that closely that she thought to be insane for being that intoxicated.  
Slightly she moved her head, trying to catch a glimpse of him, but the light was too faint to see much of his features, merely hints of eyes closed, brows curled.  
"Vincent", she heard herself exhale almost whiny.  
His reaction was different than she would have had expected: he lowered himself down to her as close as possible. Just when she believed that he wanted to nuzzle and hide his face in the hollow of her neck Cat could feel his teeth against her skin, biting her. A hot wave washed trough her body, a blow that made her fight for the balance at the edge she was standing on.  
His thrusts were harder now, intending to go even deeper. As he sucked at her neck she felt him exhaling against her skin. Dizziness made her close her eyes and lean back her head against him. She was getting sore from the tension, from her muscles clenching, from the electricity overexciting her nerves.  
And then he pressed his hot face against hers, growling again. Cat could feel him tense against her as the strokes turned slower and her friction heavier. It was like she could feel him everywhere and the hand that was holding her did move across her just to stop right between her legs, making her realize how wet she was. Yet the touch of his fingers alone seemed to ignite a fire that had been smoldering inside of her and she cried out. Her heart was beating rapidly against her chest and she could feel her pulse everywhere, as well as his inside of her.

Clattering of wires shaking, clanking of metal being pushed against metal, sound echoing through the building, dancing between walls, shadows prancing around rays of light cutting through the blue darkness that flooded around them as if it were to shelter them from anything else that was real as well.  
Vincent answered her outcry with another growl. It wasn't low yet vibrated across her skin into her bones; his teeth still sunken into her neck. A strange pain that felt so good. She gasped out loudly as he trusted into her again, brute, exhaling against her skin, making her moan. Cat felt how her knees wanted to give in, but he pinned her relentlessly where she was.  
The tears in her eyes were a product of both: this insane pleasure and pain. Yet she hadn't the ability to think about it, just to give in, to lose herself. As his fingers continued playing they poured oil into her fire. Her body wasn't her own anymore; it was his. Another moan dropped from her lips followed by a grunt against her neck. To Cat it oddly sounded like "mine".  
As Vincent thrust into her once more, he pushed more lastingly and Cat could feel his prodding pulse inside of her. It made her clench painfully and her breath took an uncontrollably rhythm, not filling her lungs. She was overbalancing on the edge, threatened to go over, at the verge of zero gravity. Inside her head she was screaming his name, but on the outside her body was screaming for air.  
Another thrust. Slow, but any less intense. It was the final push. As simple as that. When she felt and heard him come inside of her, it was enough. Cat felt like she was exploding into dust, into a thousand shards of a new born sun, when he pushed her over that edge and made her feel like floating before she fell into the groundless abyss. But he was there with her. It was burning alive without pain. And then for just a second there was nothing but numbness, right before reality sucked her back in to here and now.  
Desperately her lungs pulled in the cold air and the tears were burning in her eyes, escaping them, fleeing down her cheeks. Her neck was aching but his teeth were gone. Still she could hear him breathe as heavily as her. A slight and painful pull and he wasn't inside of her anymore, yet she sensed the warmth of his body radiating down on her. Seconds passed.  
"Catherine?" Vincent's voice was hoarse, disbelieving and shaken.

Catherine noticed Vincent's voice and tone not until her knees had dropped to the floor; her fingers brushing down the mash, not really trying to steady her, because the pain. She knew that she had to get up and get her pants back on, but her whole body ached and felt numb. It needed to recover and so did her mind. It was like rebooting herself.  
Vincent was paralyzed for more than a moment. Not being able to move he simply stared at Catherine who was on all fours, breathing heavily. There was no denying that he remembered. All of it. It hadn't been like watching himself, like something else had taken over. This had been him, and yet again not him. All of this had been so unreal, like a dream. He couldn't believe that this really had happened.  
"Oh my God", she could hear him gasp out and getting his clothes back in order hectically, just to step forwards wanting to help her and step back again, like he had forfeited the right to touch her.  
Cat pulled herself up by clawing into the mesh, distorting her face due to the pain in her fingers and other limb of her body.  
"That will be muscle soreness tomorrow", she heard herself murmur her thoughts, looking at Vincent through the corner of her half closed eyes. He was tearing his hair and didn't even dare to look at her.  
With a sigh she looked at her tattered jeans. Luckily there were enough buttons let close it. Still she definitely needed to go to the bath room. Thinking of this she remembered and turned pale. Cat needed the mash behind her to support her again and Vincent leaped out, hesitating in the moment he would have touched her. Of course he didn't know that she was almost fainting because of Doc telling Tess that Vincent might be contagious.  
"I'm so sorry", he brought out desperately. "I…."  
Somehow Cat managed to push her away from the mesh and towards him, almost losing balance and luckily forcing him to catch her. No matter how much he feared to touch her, he would never let her fall. Having her that close, her scent wafting around him, memory hit him hard. Vincent knew that he had loved it and wanted it. There wasn't any doubt. With Catherine leaning against his chest, he instantly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.  
"I'm sorry", he murmured into her hair.  
"Stop", Cat answered, frowning, fighting against the ache of her body. "Stop saying that."


	6. Turning Tables

Chapter 6 Turning Tables [PG-13]

Tess had walked the way back to the station. After having that long talk with her partner and best friend she needed some air. Even though it seemed that Cat finally had told her everything, her guts told her no. She wasn't a Detective for nothing and her instinct was sure that there was more about Vincent that her best friend had told her, even though it perfectly fit to what he already explained about himself.  
So far she knew that the former resident went to Afghanistan and got killed. Obviously that hadn't happened. He had been involved in some secret government project in which Cat's mother also had been entangled. And because Vincent was standing with one foot in his grave Cat had been hiding his tracks while he helped her out with her cases. Right there was the problem and the reason why Tess had been frowning the whole way back. Vincent had been a resident. His profession barely scratched the field in which Catherine's mom had been working. Of course he could have been part of the medical crew but as far as Tess remembered he hadn't been a medic.  
"You've got a witness or something in room two", she was welcomed as she entered the office and her eyebrows lifted instantly.  
"Okay", she answered.  
"Oh and the FBI took your body", her colleague added, making her stare after him with an open mouth since she remembered Doc's words. "And all your files."  
"Which case?" a well known voice was at her right. Bishop.  
"What?" Tess was baffled and slightly embarrassed that the Captain stood that close and retreated a little.  
"The witness", he tilted his head towards the interrogation room two.  
"I have no idea", she answered truthfully and shrugged.  
"What about Chandler? Is she better?" there was a slight smirk dancing around the corners of his mouth, distracting Tess from giving an instant answer.  
"Uh, still got the flu", Tess gave back moving further away from him. "Might be staying at home tomorrow as well. She'll call."  
"Okay", Bishop answered with nod and walked away, while she was secretly hoping no one noticed her blushing slightly.  
Shaking her head Tess made her walk towards the room asking where the hell the papers were, getting a blunt answer that the didn't want to give his personal information. As she head that Cat's partner already had an idea who might be sitting in that char, but she couldn't believe it until she saw Doc looking up to her from his newspaper.  
"You gotta be kidding me", escaped from her lips.  
"Oh Detective, did you miss me?"

The water splattering onto the ground seemed to echo from every corner of the place. For Vincent it was a sarcastic applause for what he had done. Sitting on the rim of his bead he stared down, yet seeing nothing, just listening to the shower. Even if he tried to think or focus on something else, he had no chance but to hark for every noise that came from beneath the shower. There weren't any, apart from her breathing and moving.  
Cat still felt weak, though the water was helping, and her mind was numb, for which she was somewhat grateful, but it was the soreness she felt that made her flinch silently. She could tell that he was torturing his head right now, but for her it was more important to keep control right now. There was no changing of what had happened, no matter what thoughts or explanations came into her mind. Nothing would make it better, and apart from that: if it hadn't been for what Tess had told her, she wouldn't have felt that shattered about was embarrassing to admit to herself, that she had liked it, even more than that.  
Her cheeks were still blushed after she had dried herself off and had gotten back into her clothes. And when she stepped towards Vincent who looked up at ther with a glance even worse than she had expected. It hore her heart into pieces. His thoughts were written all across his he didn't say a word and wasn't able to meet her eyes for a long time.  
Cat wanted to comfort him, to tell him that it was okay, she was fine and … she didn't even dare to complete the thought. Breaking the news to him would make it even worse and for more than a moment she was unsure if she should even talk about it now. Slowly she moved forward, but she wasn't able to lif her hand to touch him. A part of her was sure that he needed to feel this guilt, to make sure that this wouldn't happen again. Vincent wouldn't need her silence to beat himself up about what had happened.  
Hesitantly she forced her hand to reach out and stroke through his hair, watched him shiver slightly. Vincent didn't wince, just closed his eyes holding tight to the disembodied pain, doubting about if he could ever forgive himself. Yet her touch numbed his torment, no matter how hard he tried to hold on to it.

Tess blinked in confusion about Doc's question asking herself if that man really was flirting with her or just tried to make her feel uncomfortable. She decided to ignore that question and closed the door behind her. Loosing at him how he sat there with a pleased smirk, putting the folded paper on the desk, he seemed to wait for her to sit down.  
"So why are you here?" that simple question lacked of address simply because this guy didn't think he should tell his name other than he was a doctor - or Doc, as he preferred, but Tess definitely not.  
Needless to say that she didn't sit down and his comment was a slightly lifted eyebrow in amusement. For Cat's partner it was obvious now that this man wanted to play. Why he had chosen her as an opponent was something she yet needed to find out. Admittedly she felt a little proud, but Tess refused to show it.  
"To talk about your conversation with Catherine", Doc finally answered, placid the fingertips of his hands together, looking at her like he was her teacher once again.  
Tess rolled her eyes, however she was relieved that Doc hadn't said he had missed her, to catch up with his former question.  
"How did she take it?" he added not trying to hide his interest, his smirk still prancing around his mouth.  
"I don't think that it any of your business, Doc", Tess stretched out her fingers to place them onto the table, supporting her as she leaned towards him in an attempt to be intimidating.  
She wasn't surprised that this man was rather amused than taken aback. If she hadn't known it any better he would have sworn that he thought of her as adorable in that moment. It made her angry and embarrassed at the same time and Doc hadn't even said a thing yet.  
"Of course it does", he answered after savoring her display of emotions that made her turn her face away. "If there is any reason that she is planning on increasing the risk of contamination, it surely is my business, Detective."  
Tess didn't need a translator to understand what he was implying and slowly she faced him again with a dark glance: "What are you really up to? Why are you here? What do you want? No flowery phrases. Spill it."

How he demeaned himself, acted now, like a lost, wounded pup who had been thrown outside - it pained her in a way that made her forget what happened for a moment closed the distance between. Even though she placed her hand at the other side of his face Vincent kept his hands down, which hung sapless from his legs.  
Cat grimaced slightly as she sat down next to him. Luckily he was looking down and didn't see it. She was sure that he would feel even worse; if that was possible at all. Her hand brushed down his back and she could feel how his muscles tensed. He still didn't move or look at her.  
"Vincent", Cat said calmly with a clear voice and he straightened up a little, turning his head just a little towards her, enough for her to see his eyes, this soft brown that always made it impossible to escape them.  
Bringing her hand back to his face she stroke strains of hair out of is, holding it at his temple so that he couldn't hide behind it. When he opened his mouth she already knew the words that would drop out of it and she closed her eyes, shaking her head just once. Cat couldn't hear it again. It was written all over his face, in his eyes and it made her almost angry.  
Being impulsive was something she had learned when he had entered her life. Slowly, but inevitably he had taught her that there were things in life that were worth taking a risk, sometimes being irrational was the right thing, sometimes what was wrong for everyone else was right for her, right for them. Cat didn't think twice as she enfolded his face again and pulled it towards her. She could feel the surprise, him flinch, as she did that. His eyes were questioning as she looked at them, pausing her movement just briefly for one glance before she kissed him.  
Vincent was struck for a second, just to reply by cupping her face in his hands as well. It was a chaste and soft touch, just like her lips on his and the pain it caused was as heavy as the guilt he still felt. She might be able to forgive him, but he wouldn't. That he did know in that moment. As she gently pulled away to look at him again, he could tell that she knew and she didn't say a word.

Doc openly showed his amusement an Tess threw her arms up in the air from annoyance, turning away from him.  
"If you don't have anything to say, get out", she gestured towards the door. "I've got more important things to do than…"  
"Tess", his voice was more than earnest as he spoke out her name and when she faced him, he had pleased his lower arms onto the rim of the table leaning forward.  
His snaky grin was gone and with that his charms. Cat's best friend had no idea how he managed to make the room temperature drop several degrees.  
"You have met him", he stated icily. "But you have no idea what he is capable of. Regarding your behavior I can tell that your partner didn't tell you the whole truth."  
Tess frowned and was worried.  
"I could walk across the office to Evan and tell him what he so desperately wants to know", Doc continued pointing at the door that lead to the morgue and Evan's office. "I could tell him that I know where to find the origin of these samples he keeps collecting, i could tell him where to find … this beast."  
There is was again, this hunch, this feeling in her guts, a whisper in the corner of her head. She had thought of it but she hadn't been able to believe it.  
"So why aren't you?" Tess asked, trying to stay calm.  
"Who says I won't?" Doc leaned back again and didn't continue.  
Cat's partner knew what she had to do and sat down, not saying a word but glaring at him, waiting for him to finally, spit it out.  
"You know what I am implying", he noted; yet Tess didn't give it away. "Doctor Marks did good work there. Very thorough just like Catherine's mother. Tragedy that Vincent didn't make it in time", Doc proceeded staring into the distance now, while Tess kept silent. "There was nothing I could do. They would have found out that I brought them over.  
Catherine's best friend and partner sucked it all in keeping a blank face. Here sat the villain, feeling like he had already won and unfurled everything from his genius plot, secretly giving her a chance to fight him. At least if this were a movie Tess would have know that she was winning. She swallowed dryly. Her instinct wasn't so sure about that.

Cat knew that delaying wouldn't make the truth any less ugly, that she had to tell him about what Doc had explained to Tess. Thinking of that she shuddered heavily. He hadn't been cautious, how could he have been? If she hadn't known about the danger oh him being contagious, she would have loved the thought that he couldn't restrain himself because of her. Partly she shivered pleasurably, but she swallowed it down.  
Vincent could tell by her face that there was something she needed to say and his hands dropped, just like his stomach. He knew it couldn't be something good. It was over, ruined, gone. the ground was breaking up beneath him to suck him down into darkness. Then he realized that she still held his face and somehow he managed to compose himself. Somehow.  
Catherine took her left hand from his face and placed it in his, looking down at both hands while she tried to find the right words. There would never be right words to speak out something that seemed to wrong.  
"Tess", she eventually started, hearing her own voice like it was at the other end of the room. "met him…. this guy… Doc."  
Even though Vincent didn't clench his fingers around her hand his whole body tensed. Quickly she brought her eyes up ans brushed her thumb across his cheek. However Cat failed to smile. She simply couldn't.  
"He told her that I was in danger and that what I am dealing with, what we both are dealing with might be contagious. And that was the reason he abducted me in the first place", her voice turned hoarse as he gritted his teeth staring at her blankly. "He mentioned that I might get infected. He didn't say it clearly but I think he believes that you could…"  
A tremor rushed through Vincent's body as he fought for restraint, but inside he was panicking and Catherine literally could see it in his eyes. They weren't brown anymore. His brows curled in an expression of disbelief, pain and guilt.  
"No", he exhaled inaudibly. "I got the last injection eleven years ago. My cells are mutating because they have been altered, not because what ever they gave me is still active."  
"My mother was a virologist", Cat answered sternly but her voice betrayed her. "As far as JT explained they used different virus to infect your DNA. What if…"  
She couldn't end her sentence because Vincent jumped up with a beastly roar ripping out of his throat. And Cat leaped up onto her feet retreating to the wall behind her as he smashed the chair next to him across the room.

"You really are a good listener, aren't you?" Doc looked at her again and his eyes pierced right through her.  
Tess couldn't help but think that all of this was part of a plan, a plot she yet needer to understand. Something wicked. She was sure of it.  
"So you are telling me, that you worked together with Catherine's mother on a project in which Vincent became infected with something that might be contagious. Nonetheless you brought him back to the states?" she summarized and earned an approving nod. "See I owed him. He saved her life. Even though he failed to do so for a second time. At least he saved … Catherine."  
Something about Doc became cryptic in that moment and Tess became more curious than skeptical the second she noticed it. Had Cat's mother meant so much to him? Enough that her daughter became important to him as well? Or was he just misleading her? However he had given her a clue: he had brought Vincent back. This meant that he knew Doc. He could help identify him, couldn't he?  
"But why let him go, or escape without hunting him down if he can infect others?" Tess tried not to show her real thoughts, the conclusions she made because of the way Doc answered.  
"Oh, that is really simple, Detective", he responded, again very pleased with himself. "It's just like other viral infections. Especially HIV."  
In that moment Cat's friend knew that this had been the bomb he had wanted to drop from the start.  
"You mean he has…", Tess frowned about her own words.  
"Don't play the dumb one now, Tess, you are smarter than that!" Doc shook his head and slapped his hand onto the table.  
Of course she knew.  
"Body liquids", she answered, like a good pupil her teacher wanted her to be.  
The man in front of her clapped into his hands once and got up, much to her confusion.  
"If you excuse my now, I have another employee of this department to visit", he smirked and winked at her before leaving the room like he had just enjoyed a little chat with a good friend.

Cat had prepared herself for such an reaction, but she hadn't expected her own. Not knowing if it had been a reflex or really fear-driven instinct that made her literally flee those few feet backwards, she still stayed there after she had caught her breath, feeling the rough bricks of the wall beneath her fingertips. She had pressed herself against the stones and somehow she wasn't able to move.  
Even though she had seen him like this several times, it still was a shock to her when she witnessed him change and explode into his emotion. It was a sharp sting right into her core and she knew that she had pitied him every time. This time however was different. For a brief moment the idea crossed her mind that it was because of he had infected her, but she gritted her teeth knowing that this was bull. Cat's heart was racing just a bit faster than before and her body was tense, only slightly, but she felt like being electrified. A part from her wanted to calm him down, comfort him, an other feeling the urge to get away and there was a third, whispering, making her hold her breath until her lungs ached.  
Vincent turned towards her, every move reflecting the predator he was. So quickly he was to turning into that beast which always was slumbering inside him. Yet it seemed to be awake more often and less easy to compose. And now Cat had to admit that she wasn't the one to calm him down anymore. His glance at her made her shiver now; she didn't dare to thing about the reason why. It took her quite some effort to get out of her defensive position and stand up straight. This was when he stepped towards her slowly, tilted his head just like he had done before.  
"Vincent", Cat could hear herself speaking calmly. "It's okay", she was lying.  
He had stopped, looking at her, as if he tried to understand. His chest was heaving up heavily, as if he was trying to compose himself.  
"Everything is okay", Cat continued and stepped towards him slowly; yet it seemed as if she was watching herself, speaking, since her own voice her own words sounded so oddly.  
And than she realized that she herself wanted to believe it. How could she know that this Doc did tell the truth? Maybe he wanted them to doubt?  
Exhaling deeply as if she wanted to encourage herself she moved further and reached out her hand.

For some seconds Tess just stood there thunderstruck and puzzled. With a blink she turned around on her heels, going after Doc, who crossed the office. Like he had said he was heading for the door that lead to the morgue. She didn't say a word as she followed him with quick, long steps and her facial expression made everyone clear not to say a word, or even think of it.  
Doc was already through the entrance and in the corridor as she caught up with him, grabbing his arm to stop him from walking any further.  
"Wait", she almost hissed, yanking at his arm and he stopped with amusement all across his face, as Tess stepped into his way.  
That he wasn't angry or annoyed, not even gave a comment about her action, confused her again. With a frown she wondered what he was up to now. Until she realized: she hadn't been fast enough. Another door opened behind her and she could tell which one it was. Yet she didn't turn around.  
"Tess?" it was Evan's voice behind her and she exhaled cautiously, pressing her lips together while Doc looked at her in curiosity about what she would do next.  
"You can't simply walk into this area", she glared at her opposite, hoping for the best, knowing he wouldn't play along.  
Maybe Evan would, which would mean that he wouldn't admit knowing this man. She wasn't sure if this was better or worse. But her heart already sunk as Doc simply smiled back at her.  
"No, it's okay. He's here to visit me", Evan replied and Tess had to turn around to face him and read his expression, her lips a thin line.  
They exchanged glances longer than usual, each of them suspicious about the other, doubting, pondering. What had Doc done that Evan would trust him like that?  
"What for?" she demanded to know and saw that this question made him uncomfortable - he wasn't really good at hiding his emotions, he never had been.  
Trying to sty calm she played with her fingers, so that she wouldn't clench them into fists or cross them in front of her chest. If Even wanted to lie than he would have to make it a big one.  
"Consultation", Even eventually answered, looking halfway sincere; maybe that wasn't even a lie.  
Again both looked at each other with the same glance as before and they knew both that this was a charade.  
"He's the one that abducted Cat", Tess eventually brought out in an icy tone, waiting for Evan to react on that news.

Cat let her hands drop and made another step towards JT who obviously tried to process what he had seen. There was no doubt about it that was well aware of the situation, even more as Vincent turned around as well behind Cat. At least so she thought. When she looked back to check on him he was almost back to normal. Just like that. Again.  
JT still blinked and frowned slightly, but he apparently hadn't found back his tongue. Not for long however. As Catherine made another move towards him with her hands slightly held up, trying to find some words on her own, JT's wit was back: "Did you just seriously _kiss_ him back to normal? Why didn't I ever come up with that!" Vincent's best friend was still freaked out and Cat wasn't sure if she should laugh or hide her face in embarrassment.  
"What happened?" JT asked in a more settled tone and eventually entered the room, walking towards them, even before either her or Vincent had a chance to enter the conversation and just when both tried to explain, they forfeited the second slot: "What. The…"  
A whole bunch of different expressions ran off JT's face until he managed to freak out again, approaching Cat as if he wanted to strangle her, which made Vincent instinctively step next to her. He would have brought himself between her and his best friend if it hadn't been for JT's words: "What happened to your neck? Are these … bite … marks?" Vincent wasn't sure if he had ever heard his friend's voice pitch that high.  
Without thinking Cat's hand snapped up to her neck, knowing perfectly well what JT was talking about, since her lower left neck did ache. Even more since the water had flown across it and she had soaped it. She knew that she was as red as strawberries for her face was burning hot. Cat's looked away from both of them. She really didn't want to see Vincent's expression. He hadn't been aware of that yet. The only thing she was able to see was JT's index finger jumping back and forth between Vincent and her, while his jaw was trying to touch the ground.  
However she wouldn't be able to escape his nearly breaking and puzzled voice: "What? … Catherine?"  
She felt his hand at her shoulder and didn't fight him turning her towards him. Cat's glance brushed JT's who was more than confused worried and feeling completely out of place. His eyes however were glued to the marks at her neck and she knew that he was trying to out-rule his doubts and understand this. She closed her eyes as Vincent inhaled sharply.  
"It's okay", she said quickly, staring at the ground with narrowed eyes. "It barely hurts. It's only a…."  
"I'm so sorry", he whispered almost inaudibly.  
"So you … did", JT blurted out.

Tess stared at Evan waiting for a reaction. He seemed like being frozen, trying to comprehend what she just told him. She could see a slight twitch between his brows and it dawned to her that now she could have reached him. With a slight move of his head Evan looked at his guest, to open his mouth.  
"Yes, I did", Doc suddenly admitted and both Tess and Evan looked at him. "I needed to make sure that she wasn't contaminated", he continued with a shrug. "I told you this already, Tess. I am disappointed."  
Now the eyes of both were on her. Her plan was backfiring. She could feel it.  
"You know him? You knew?" Evan asked in disbelief.  
"He picked me off the street after you told me about your … hobby." Tess just gave back. "Have you any idea what she went through?"  
Cat's friend were just glaring at each other while Doc took the opportunity to walk into Evan's office, saying: "I really don't know if it's wise to discuss the matter where everyone hears it. And by the way Evan: this isn't everything I came to told you. As a matter of fact Tess knows your fake intern. She already has met him, just failed to remember, or didn't you, Detective?"  
Now both of their jaws fell. While you could see the feeling of betrayal spread on Evan's face Tess mind was working rapidly, trying to put all of these pieces together. Her eyes narrowed she tried to bring back the picture in front of her inner eye, but it didn't work. So she simply followed Doc and went to the drawer where she had seen Evan put the drawing.  
"Hey!" Evan just shouted out after he had closed the door behind him, realizing what she just did, while Doc was apparently quite amused by witnessing the whole scene.  
Tess looked at the picture as if her glance would be able to burn it to ashes. She wouldn't stop until something would pop up in her mind. And it did: "Glasses", she murmured to herself and took a pen from Evan's desk, putting the paper onto the wood and started scribbling.  
"What are you doing?" Evan's voice was angry but Tess chose to ignore him, continuing her attempt of being an artist and looked at what she had created.  
However even though it looked crappy she realized who it was. Her features showed certainty but she didn't murmur a name. Briefly she looked at Doc who gave her an approving nod, before she quickly glanced at Evan before she stormed out, the drawing still in her hand.

Both Vincent and Catherine stared at JT whose forehead was already glistening. Partly she was really grateful for him being that blunt, because it kept Vincent from having an even worse conscience he most definitely already had. There was no need for speaking out an answer and the silence that spread the room was awfully awkward.  
"This probably needs to be disinfected", Vincent turned away, his eyes pinned to the floor as if he would find everything to take care of the injury right there.  
"No…" Cat reached out to stop him, but there wasn't really a chance.  
"Okay", JT tried to calm himself down by talking - like he always did - and stepped towards her, lowering his tone. "I usually would have congratulated and take off, but …." he stopped realizing that there was in fact no way to put this into words that weren't less than painfully awkward. "Are you okay?"  
Cat blinked. She knew what this was about. Vincent's best friend was probably smarter than Vincent and her combined. There was no need to explain. Apparently he tried to find out if she was in some form of shock.  
"Yes", she answered with a slight nod and exhaled deeply. "I am. It's…"  
Vincent returned with some antiseptic and gauze pads, making Catherine stop talking. She looked at him and knew that it would be wrong to say anything. He had to focus on this, be rational. Still she couldn't help but whisper: "It's just grazes."  
Pressing her teeth together as he gently brushed the pads across the bite marks, while JT took the opportunity to watch them both: who Vincent avoided to glance at her while she shamelessly did the opposite. Quickly he put one and one together, realizing that they both were dressed and her hair had been still tucked up into a knot. So she had been showering.  
"So why …" he started asking, wondering why she had to calm him down again like that. "What happened?"  
"Doc talked to Tess", Cat answered him, flinching slightly as Vincent speckled salve on her neck.  
Her eyes wandered back to him, as he tensed, still avoiding to look at her and turned away to bring back what he had brought to vet her.  
"Tess?" JT dug deeper and Cat let out a sigh, facing him again. "My partner. First you, then her. I really want to know what he's up to. It's like he's circling around us like a bird of prey, trying to make us panic."  
"He told her that I am contagious", Vincent returned but stayed at least six away.

Evan intended to go after Tess, but there was a slight difficulty doing so.  
"Let her go", Doc said coolly, leaning against the wall behind the desk with his arms crossed, making him stop.  
"You just said she knows who broke into my lab!"  
"Yes, I did", he pushed himself away from the wall, both brows risen. "Which means that I do know as well, doesn't it?"  
Evan stared at Doc for a moment with a blank face, realizing that this counterpart was absolutely right and calmed down a bit. A frown appeared in his features as he tried to understand what Doc was up to, but he didn't ask; much to the other ones approval.  
"Like I told you I cannot bring you to my facility if you don't want to get off the grid, which is why I cannot introduce you to my other associates. It is still your choice, but you will still pass the point of no return. As for the fake intern", Doc spoke determined and earnest. "You stop going after him."  
This was something Evan had least expected. Why did Doc send Tess off to hunt that man down and forbade him to do so? He narrowed his eyes as a reaction.

Tess ignored the curious looks as she burst out of the door into the main office. For less than a second she headed towards her desk but then she changed her mind and marched right out of the station to her car. She got inside, closed the door, put on the safety belt. It was a brief look she gave the drawing, as she placed it on the shotgun's seat How could she have overlooked this? It was insane, but all the pieces now had fallen together in her head.  
"JT Forbes", she told herself. "Former room mate of Vincent Keller."  
It had been so obvious, too obvious to see it. Like she had been pressing her nose against a billboard seeing nothing but three inches square and having to wait for a man that made no sense to her to drag her backwards so that she could see the whole picture.  
Tess started the engine being washed away by annoyance, anger and a hot sting of betrayal. Had this been the reason why Cat had gone to the building a second time after they had ruled out a supposedly dead man for a murder? She steered the car off the department's property and speed off.  
What else had Cat hidden from her? How often had she lied? Why the hell Forbes had been in Evan's lab and what for? Her facial features derailed in shocked insight:"The DNA."

Catherine's lips formed a thin line and she glanced past JT into the distance that was not there. For the first time she was the one to avoid exchanging looks, but as she realized that Vincent was keeping space between them, she couldn't help but move her eyes on him.  
"What?" JT's tone was rather puzzled than horrified. "Wait. Why? How?"  
Somehow he seemed to be grateful for not having to talk about the fact that he had run into the aftermath of what had happened here just minutes before. For Vincent however the skepticism of his friend appeared to be a beacon of hope.  
"He said that it's a virus and it's reprogramming DNA. So if I …. someone was to having contact with Vincent being exposed to…" Catherine tried to explain.  
"That would mean I would have started to change ages ago", JT frowned and shook his head. "Yeah, your mother was the expert of altering virus to make them reprogram DNA, specifically to each subjects DNA, which it affected everyone differently. But -" JT continued to shake his head while his glance jumped between the two of them. "First the virus would have to be still active and the blood samples never showed that, apart from the ongoing mutation which is a body's own process, like cancer" - he started gesturing like the teacher that he was - "but even if the virus would still be active it still is individually created to change _his_ cells. So it most certainly would not attack anyone else's even if you were to be .. if his body flu…. you know what I mean."  
For the first time since JT had arrived Vincent looked at Catherine. A hint of relief was in his features and she managed to give him a faint of a smile.  
"So why would he say that?" she asked.  
"I have no idea", JT threw his hands into the air, happily ignoring the topic that still wafted around them. "To freak all of us out? Well he surely has perfected that treat."  
Yet all of them kept brooding about this. It didn't make any sense, did it? Vincent and Cat looked at each other again, questioningly.  
"What about …", he suddenly addressed his best friend. "I mean …"  
Without really telling nothing he said everything to made them all blush, because even though he hadn't spoken it out, it was absolutely clear what he was asking for. While JT just stared at his best friend frozen in shock, Cat pressed her lips together and tried to find a spot she could stare at.  
"You know, Vincent", JT finally answered. "Your DNA is different and it keeps changing still. Mixing it up with … 50 percent would be yours and the other 50 might be affected as well. So…"  
"I gotta go", Cat burst out and moved without looking at the both of them.

"Why?" Evan simply asked now and he could tell that Doc had expected him to.  
"Because he knows so much more about that cross species DNA than you. He is more important to me than you are", Doc answered bluntly. "Know that if I am to choose, my vote wouldn't fall on you unless you make yourself even more valuable."  
"He is part of the project?" Evan asked surprised, but the only response to that question was a pleased smile.  
"So we have an agreement then?" Doc inquired after a well put pause.  
"Yes" was the answer, and stern the glance. "If you guarantee that I will get to see the creature after we captured it."  
All he did to respond to this was nod once with this eyes closed, only to look at Evan for a few moments, before he spoke again: "I will give you something better than that" - his smile became a grin - "you can capture him yourself. I do not have any interest in imprisoning him. I'm after something else. Something much more valuable than him."  
Evan frowned, tilting his head slightly as he tried to understand what he just had heard. It didn't make any sense to him. So he shook his head slightly. And Doc chuckled, stepping towards him and patted his shoulder, to rest his hand on it.  
"You know that once he is exposed that the government will try absolutely everything to make him and everyone that knows about him disappear. So if I were you I'd be carefully choosing how to handle it." Doc smiled at him.  
"That is why you don't want to catch it?" Even continued frowning, realizing that his counterpart spoke about a 'him' as well - like Cat had. "You know? It's a human? Not a beast?"  
Doc nodded more this time and squeezed his shoulder now, but he didn't say anything, just smirked and let go. Bringing his suit in order the man who knew everything walked towards the office door and Evan moved to just stare at him.  
"You know? You know who it is?" he dared to ask as Doc's hand touched the door knob. "Tell me!" he stepped towards him but froze in his movements as the man stared back at him with piercing eyes and a face of a killer.  
"You will know when you are supposed to know", Doc spoke with a tone that was even colder than his glare. "First I have to make sure that I get what I want and I will let no one get in my way. Did you understand my words, Doctor Marks? Are we on the same page?"  
Evan swallowed and nodded. Even though he had no proof of Doc's power, right now his determination was enough.  
"Very well then", the man's smile reappeared but it still was icy. "Have a nice day."

JT couldn't actually believe that Vincent would simply let her go, but apparently that was exactly what he was doing. Open mouthed and his palms upwards he turned following Cat walking out.  
"What did I say?" he just asked completely confused, just to realize in that very moment, as he looked at Vincent again. "Oh…"  
His room mate rubbed across his face with one hand, still not moving an inch, while his other hand was clenched into a fist. This left him with nothing than just gesturing between the now closed mesh, listening to Cat going down the stairs and Vincent looking at it like he had seen fer for the last time.  
"I know it's none of my business and I really wish that I wouldn't have to ask."  
"JT", Vincent simply shook his head an brought up one hand to stop him from talking.  
They both just looked at each other and being best friends and room mates for that long there wasn't much that needed to be said. Vincent just turned around and sat down on his bed, burying his face in his hands and JT was nothing but worried. A lot was going around in his head but he knew that it wouldn't help speaking them out. He had an idea what might have happened but he wasn't sure of it, didn't dare to ask.  
Vincent breathed in deeply and exhaled heavily before he looked up at his best friend, who had slowly followed him, searching for the right words he knew never would come up in his head. Even more as JT saw the look in his eyes.  
"I need to go", Vincent said hoarsely, his voice almost cracking. "You'll be safe and Catherine will be safe … from me."  
JT frowned, for though he had expected something similar from his friend's mouth, he hadn't been prepared for that.  
"I don't understand", he shook his head.  
"I …" Vincent's voice cracked, as if it wanted to refuse speaking out what followed, so he tried to trick himself, looking away, back to the ground, whispering. "I heard her and just … fugued out …"  
He swallowed and so did JT, before he responded: "It's okay, she's fine", pointing towards the mesh even though Vincent wasn't looking. "She said it herself. You didn't hurt her."  
"I raped her, JT", Vincent suddenly stared up at his best friend. "She's not fine."  
With that he jumped up, making him stumble back, and pulled out his backpack from under the bed.  
"I need to leave", the repeated, his voice breaking again.

Cat had been standing at the bottom of the stairs, as she heard him say it. Her right hand pressed against the brick wall next to her, trying to swallow down the tears in her eyes, the fire in her throat. No matter how badly she wanted to turn around and go back to tell him that it wasn't true, she would have been lying to herself, she knew she would have lied. Because even though a part of her had liked it, it didn't change what it had been. Did it? Would she feel different about it right now if he had been himself? Was it just false morale that gave her the urge to brand it as wrong? Would it have happened if she hadn't been all over him just hours before? Would she feel differently if it hadn't been the first time? Questions rushed through her minds, like sand through her hands. She couldn't think, couldn't tell what was right or wrong anymore. So she made herself walk forward and through the still open door.

Tess had been focusing on driving, trying hard not to give in to the hurting anger on her chest, telling herself that Cat would have had a really good reason not to tell her everything about this, not telling about Forbes or Vincent. Whatever reason it was, she would still go after Forbes because she was a Cop and Cat would have to understand that. Then it all came back into her mind. Vincent Keller dead and yet alive, being so worried, concerned and caring for Cat, risking to be exposed for her, who obviously was willing to risk everything herself to keep him safe, like lying to her best friend and partner. JT Forbes breaking in to Evan's lab. Maybe Cat had even been involved here. All of this because some DNA samples? Cross-species DNA. So why did Vincent Keller have to stay dead? Tess couldn't accept the facts as what they were, but she had to. All of this could mean just one thing: it was Vincent's DNA.

"Reconsider", JT almost pleased while watching Vincent packing up a few things."Jut stop a moment and thing this through. You can't just leave."  
"No", Vincent didn't stop, not even pause for a second, unless to go through what else he would need. "Whoever they are. They are after me and they obviously won't top going after everyone I care for and whoever is close to them. They spoke to Catherine's partner. Who long until they go after Sarah?"  
JT flinched as Vincent mentioned his girlfriend.  
"And before you tell me that we'll find a way. I can't risk hurting Catherine again. She had been so sure that I would never hurt her. And I did it", Vincent finally stopped to close his eyes and breathing in deeply, fighting the tremor that took over his body.

Cat didn't hear the continuance of the conversation on the upper level, since she already was walking back to her car which she had parked further down. Somehow she was sure that JT would be able to make Vincent change his mind and calm him down. He would convince him that they just needed some time to process what happened until they could speak about it.  
Till then Cat knew precisely what she should do. She had to get some medication just to be sure. The facts spoke for themselves. Whatever drugs Doc had given to her when he had held her captive, there was no guarantee that they didn't affect what she was taking for birth control. JT's words had just slammed the reality into her head. Even if they really could manage being in a relationship of which no one could apparently know, how could they take that step? Of course it was crazy to think that far and Cat had never thought about having kids, but somehow now as it came into her mind, she just had to think about it. Now that JT had spoken about that they might never have…  
She shook her head to get rid of these thoughts. The one who always made plans, always tried to be prepared decided that she would cross that bridge when they came to it. First she had to make sure, that she got to a hospital.

JT watched Vincent how he tried to compose himself. Years they had spent together and worked out ways to help him handle his condition. They did just fine, got better, until Catherine had entered his life. She had made it better somehow. JT could remember perfectly well how she had given Vincent a sort of strange that he never had been able to. He had watched his best friend loose faith, and slowly give up, till she gave it all back to him. And now it seemed to be all gone.  
"Just", he started to make a pause since he tried to calm himself down now. "don't turn yourself in to Muirfield."  
Vincent looked up and at his best friend. Even though he had known that JT would have tried to change his mind, even though he was prepared to fight his arguments, it stung that he gave in that quickly. It made reality even more real.  
Before he was able to say something JT continued: "Are you really sure that it will happen again? I mean…" what the hell he was thinking "… are you even sure about that you really … she kissed you when I came here and you didn't jump her. You realize that."  
"It doesn't change the fact that it happened", Vincent responded and clenched his jaw, avoiding his friend's look as he turned away his own, his features darkened. "I won't let it happen again."

Cat took her usual path long the fence to where the gap was and swung herself through it by using her weight and sliding across the brash. The car which Vincent had demolished months ago was still there, just like the other ones, which were mostly rusty wrecks. She didn't look back as she walked on and glanced on her phone: no calls, no texts. That didn't have to be a good sign.  
As she moved around the corner she couldn't hear the car bombing onto the stony yard. A swart car, to be precise, a dark blue one. Cat would have recognized it in an instant, but then again she just had left when Tess arrived. She left the drawing in the car, but pulled her weapon the moment she had shut the door and walked towards the entrance.

"Won't you just sleep a night over it and think of what lead to it", JT still tried convincing his best friend. "Or at least wait till my colleague takes a look at the security. You remember I told you I'd ask if he wants his students to make a project. And he agreed. He maybe even might take a look at Catherine's apartment. Then you don't need to leave, because we've got perfect security systems. Or at least sort of."  
Vincent frowned and stopped packing.  
"Speaking of…", he said after a moment, as he as sure that the car was heading towards their building. "I doubt that you enabled the security system and Catherine has no idea how."  
JT froze. Instantly his forehead was glistening with sweat again and Vincent could hear his heart beating like it was preparing itself for an panic attack.  
"It's okay", he added quickly as the car came closer. "I recognize that car."  
However his expression didn't ease up simply because the pieced didn't fit together.  
"What?" JT asked since he knew that look much too well.  
"I wonder what Tess wants here", he replied. "She doesn't know that I live here."  
Now they both looked at each other for a second until JT turned to go to the lower level, saying: "I have no idea why she should be here. I'll make her go away."  
Vincent was to busy with thinking this though that he didn't even not to what his friend had so say. Something told him that there was a hitch; his guts told him that JT shouldn't go down there, but when he looked up again, it was already to late.

Since the door was already open Tess slowly moved forward with her gun ready. Probably this was much a too aggressive entrance but on the other hand all that she officially knew was that JT Forbes had broken into a police station's lab. So how she behaved just moments later seemed pretty legit to her.  
"Freeze!" she shouted the second he stepped into her view and apparently he was absolutely shocked and clueless.  
So it was no problem for her to approach him with her weapon aiming at him, since he wasn't even able to move and searched for words desperately.  
"Uhm… can I help you?" he finally managed to bring out.  
"I'm not sure yet," Tess replied and her gaze moved up towards the mesh door at the end of the stairs, pondering what she should do next, since she hadn't made up her mind on the way. "Why did you break into the lab?" she eventually demanded.  
"Uh", JT answered, his eyes moving along with her gun. "Well technically I didn't break into anything."  
"Tess", her weapon moved toward the origin of the voice that addressed her: from the top of the stairs, where Vincent was standing behind the mesh, hands up. "There's no need for a gun."  
"I knew it!" she shouted, throwing up her hands, including the gun, and JT jumped behind the counter in the middle of the room.

As Cat finally reached her car he exhaled heavily. Somehow she felt like holding her breath all the time. After unlocking the door she got into her vehicle and fastened the seat belt. There was no need for looking around since there never had been anyone ever when she had parked here. Until today. Driving off the little parking lot she didn't notice the black SUV that just had started the engine and seemed to randomly follow her. On any other day Cat might have realized that she was being followed but this wasn't any other day. Doc had made sure of it.  
She steered her car downtown, heading towards the hospital she had been in after a former suspect had tried to shot her. Odd memories came up, making her stomach clench and forced her to think of Vincent again. And of what had happened. In that moment she knew that she would have to talk to him as soon as possible. She thought of calling him right now, but he would be too emotional right now to speak with in the first place. JT would make it right, wouldn't he?

Vincent slowly opened the mesh door and stepped down the stairs while Tess reluctantly lowered her gun and JT stayed in cover.  
"Wait a second", they only could hear his voice slightly muffled. "Now we trust her too? She pointed a gun at me for Christ's sake!"  
"I can point it at your friend if that makes you feel better", Tess tried to get a glimpse of him, but somehow he had hid perfectly.  
If the situation had been different, Vincent might have chuckled about it, but today was not any other day and he looked at Cat's partner seriously:"I knew it was just a measure of time until you put one and one together, but I don't understand why you come here with a gun pointing at my best friend."  
"She explained that perfectly well!" JT commented from the off and Tess lifted her brows briefly: "And he hasn't answered the question. But I'm pretty sure that this has to do with you, right? Since you are half human half something else, right? Does Cat know?"

Doc had left the department without being bothered, and he had walked off its property just the same. Just when he stepped onto the sidewalk approaching the vehicle he had chosen to be driven around with, the big dark guy got out off the shotgun to open the door to the backseat for him. For that he earned a slight smirk and a nod and Doc made sure that his suit fit perfectly when he got into the car.  
"Connor is tailing Catherine", a female voice said, sitting next to him,; her face was in the shadows since the car was dark inside. "She's not heading home or here."  
He nodded and placed his hand on hers.  
"Don't worry, everything works out just as planned", he said softly, smiling at the woman next to him.

When Cat eventually arrived at the hospital she still wasn't aware that someone had been following her. Not even as she got out of the car and the black SUV parked directly next to her. She didn't look at it, didn't become suspicious as there was no door opening, simply walked towards the entrance of the hospital, being busy with herself. It would be impossible that one time would have been enough, even if the drugs Doc had injected her had messed with her own medication. She was sure of it, or at least she tried to convince herself as she continued walking, while there was still no one exiting the car next to hers.

Hearing Tess' question JT slowly approached behind the counter, cautiously looking at Vincent who was slightly taken aback by the bluntness of cat's partner.  
"Yes", he answered directly and his best friend couldn't believe what he heard. "All of it", he added as her face was flooded with confusion.  
JT looked at him as if he had lost his mind and Vincent simply shrugged as an answer, even though his expression was stern. Tess had expected everything but this and she knew that he was had answered truthfully.  
"I don't really understand", she admitted.  
"It's not really important anymore", Vincent gave back. "I just ask you to not arrest JT. All he did was trying to help me."  
It dawned to his best friend that nothing he had said to him had managed to change his mind. He was still leaving. Facing this fact sucked the blood from his face. More than ten years were gone just like that.

Next to the black SUV a smaller blue car pulled in and finally the driver got out of the car - mid-twenty, black hair, bright brownish-green eyes - to step next to the window that moved down.  
"She got in there just a few minutes ago", he reported into the opening.  
"I hadn't expect this to happen so quickly", Doc commented from the inside and addressed Connor: "You know what to do."  
The young man's answer was nothing but a single nod, but when he turned around to walk towards the hospital's entrance the color of his eyes had changed into a golden amber.  
"Michael", the woman's voice inside sounded urgent and Doc turned his face towards her, concern mirroring in his features."I promised you that we won't hurt her. You know that I would never lie to you."


	7. Closer

∴ Chapter 7 ∴ Closer ∴ [R]

As JT placed the coffee filled mug in front of Tess he still looked at her suspiciously, just like he was expecting her to pull the gun and aim it as him again. She on the other hand seemed to be perfectly relaxed.  
"Thanks", was her response to his gesture and dragged the mug towards her, sniffing in the damp of the drink; still apparently she was lost in thoughts, slightly brooding.  
"You know that your partner didn't lie to you on purpose", JT restarted the conversation they had minutes ago before Vincent had left.  
Tess looked up at JT with an unreadable expression on her face and he was absolutely sure that she would certainly beat him in playing poker, luckily he was rather the chess type.  
"Well she kept the truth from me, who she usually trusts blindly and bend the law in a way I would never expected from her", she replied after moment, placing her hands around the mug even though they weren't cold. Shaking her head briefly, as she gave it another try to understand Cat she looked at JT with a glance that she probably used to brake a suspect - even though it was involuntary this time: "How close are they? I mean, what Cat did for him and the way he looks when he hears her name, that's …"  
She stopped talking as she saw JT's expression and he didn't need to say a thing.  
"Oh", Tess straightened up, instantly sharing his awkwardness.  
"I didn't say anything!" Vincent's best friend blurted out, pulling his shoulders up just like his hands in defense.  
"I bet they called you Mr. Obvious in school", Tess commented her mouth twitching from suppressing a grin.  
"Well thank you", JT murmured, staring into his own mug.  
"When did your colleague want to show up? I have to head back soon and Heather won't be in the apartment for long. Are you sure that Cat will be at work when she doesn't get home?" Tess changed the topic and he would have been relieved if it hadn't be that subject.  
After taking a glance at his watch and exhaling heavily, he looked at Tess:" He should be here any time soon. You don't have to wait I can call Catherine when we've finished here, so that he can go over to her apartment."  
"Yeah", Tess shrugged and frowned after a second. "Why are you calling her Catherine?"  
"I honestly don't know. That's Vincent's thing."  
"And where's he going? I mean backpack and all", Cat's partner dug deeper. "Some sort of camping trip?"  
JT sighed and stretched his jaw a little. Vincent and him hadn't spoken about this in front of Tess and somehow his friend hat used the opportunity to put paid to their discussion: "He left."

Vincent despised going through the sewer systems and the metro as well. If the smell was disgusting for normal people it was almost unbearable for him. Yet walking through New York in broad daylight was like putting a neon sign on his back for Muirfield and whichever organization Doc was part of and he had promised JT not to turn himself in. If it hadn't been to this request he would have done it. There was no way that he could ever forgive himself for what had happened, even though he went through the past day over and over again, like his subconsciousness refused to believe the facts.  
He hadn't taken much with him, just the basics he needed to blend into the crowd when he had to. But no phone or any form of technical devices with which he could be traced or give in to the need of contacting JT or Cat. Maybe he was a coward for running away and not facing what he had done, still what would be the difference when he stayed? Vincent couldn't bare the idea of even risking it to happen for a second time and he forced himself not to think of it, because every time he did, he remembered the feeling, the sensation, the excitement, everything about her: the taste of her skin, the muffled sounds escaping her throat, how she gave in to him. As if she had loved it exactly like he had.  
Vincent tensed completely and exhaled sharply. He had to stop and calm himself down, fighting the need to turn around, staring into the darkness with eyes wide open, shimmering amber. If he would close his eyes, he would just see it again. And it was wrong. Even though his entire body screamed the opposite. This was just proving that it would happen again. He swallowed dryly and continued walking away.

Cat had no idea for how long she had been in the hospital and somehow she felt extremely tired and worn out. In fact she was sore; a constant reminder of what had happened. She knew that she would have to talk to Vincent about this. They both would have to, but she still needed to make up her own mind. Reason. This had always defined her, yet she felt this painful urge that she wasn't used to. She missed him. Cat swallowed and licked her lips, taking a look at her cell, as she walked out the hospital and towards her car. Again she was ignorant about the black SUV or the blue hatchback, that stood next to it. No calls, but a text.  
Approaching her own car while unlocking the phone she opened the message from Tess. Her facial expression derailed for a second as the text told her that her partner was at Forbes' talking through the security issue and that he had someone to take care of it at her apartment. Her heart raced in a wild mixture of confusion and commotion. Quickly she wrote back:"Tell Heather about it then and that it's okay, maybe you should make sure. I'll be there later, got an errand to run." after a brief hesitation, she added. "Talk to you later."

"I can come back later, if I'm interrupting something."  
Tess instantly turned around and JT involuntarily tensed just to relax again as he recognized his newest visitor: "Tom. No it's fine get in."  
His colleague was a rather normal but really nice looking guy and some people would even think him handsome. Tess on the other hand was had a very specific type and this Tom wasn't fitting it, apart from the blue eyes that seemed to see more than just surfaces.  
"Hi, I'm Tom Gordon", he stepped towards her reaching out with his hand for her to shake it and smiled at her in a way that take her a little off guard. Maybe she should make an exception…  
"Tess Vargas", she answered with a smile.  
"Should Sarah be worried?" Tom addressed JT and stepped next to her at the counter, yet he seemed rather interested in the building than her.  
"Detective Tess Vargas", JT responded grumpily. "And you should know me better."  
"Yes, I do", his colleague smirked and continued looking at the walls and ceiling. "Or I should, still I've never been here and yet I could walk into here without tripping an alarm. Are you here to protect him?" Tom turned towards Tess, taking her a little off guard.  
"Oh no", she shook her head. "Well not really, no. Just here for the coffee", she held up her mug and grinned, while JT obviously was embarrassed about the whole situation and cleared his throat.  
Right in that moment Tess's cell buzzed and the took a look at it: "It's Cat."  
JT exhaled in relief, gesturing towards his colleague to move towards him and he followed in curiosity.  
"She's fine with me going to her apartment", Tess said while typing. "But since I've got no keys I have to meet up with Heather." Suddenly her cell buzzed again. "Excuse me", she said before taking the call and walking outside.  
"No flirting with her", JT grabbed Tom's shoulder.  
"I didn't do anything", was the chuckled reply.  
"Most of your female students aren't there for classes", he continued.  
"Well and I'm not here for flirting", Tom shrugged. "But to make sure that no one breaks into your property or your friend's apartment who is not her. Listen. This building? Awesome. I now some students who would die for setting up security here, especially when I tell them it's for some random game setup. The other one's a typical apartment?"  
As he asked that Tess returned.  
"I'm sorry, gotta go. Case came up", she made a note and stripped it from her pad. "That's the address, I'll call Heather that you will show up, but that means you have to go now. She has to leave soon as far as I know. Thanks for the coffee." And with that she left again, leaving both men with lifted eyebrows.  
"I guess I'll come back later then", Tom shrugged.  
"Yeah", JT's expression became somehow downhearted. "I'll be here."

Almost instantly after Cat had send her text Tess had already answered "ok" and she breathed out, trying to relax. It was when she arrived at her car and placed back her cell int o her pocket, pulling out the keys and the medication she just had bought at the hospital's pharmacy. Suddenly a strange feeling took hold of her and made her frown. It was nothing but a slight hunch, yet she stepped aside to look past the black SUV that parked directly next to her car. Behind it there stood a dark blue hatchback with black windows just like the SUV. Cat couldn't quite put the feeling she had. It wasn't even that she recognized it, but somehow she felt drawn to it by an invisible pull. Without noticing she stepped towards if, slightly frowning.

Vincent had been close to running. The faster he would get out of the city the better it would become, the easier it would be to withstand the urge to turn around. He could almost feel the pressure lessen with every step that brought him further away. From her. Then out of nowhere he had the feeling that something was wrong. He felt dizzy and almost like a headache, that made him stop and support himself against the dirty wall of the metro tunnel. Just like that it was gone again and Vincent blinked. Quickly he turned around but there was no one and nothing. Was the beast inside him protesting, fighting his decision? Or was it just coincidence? Maybe another wave of mutation surfacing?  
JT had told him how everything they had documented had been stolen. The serum, the notes, everything. Even if he went back there was nothing that his friend was able to do apart from collaborating with the ones that had abducted Catherine. Vincent exhaled deeply and stretched his shoulders. Reluctantly he stopped himself from looking back and continued to walk away.

As the blue hatchback's engine started Cat slightly jumped in surprise, realizing that she almost had reached it. She watched the car pull out the parking space and leave, but she couldn't tear her eyes away, instead she had to keep herself from running after the car and pull open the driver's backseat door. Quickly she brought out her cell again, to note the car's license plate.  
Turning around she flinched again, as she almost hit into someone who seemed to have stood right behind her. Cat was startled and looked up to him, who smirked at her almost roguishly and apparently wasn't shocked at all. There was something strange about the way he looked at her, how his light brownish-green eyes stared at her as if they were more than familiar with each other.  
He was strangely handsome in a way that Cat would definitely remembered and still she almost had the feeling that she knew him. So instead of stepping away or saying something like an apology, she kept looking at him with a frown.  
"Hello Catherine", he almost grinned now and his voice gave her goose bumps, turning her face blank, because she remembered it; the last time she had it he had told his comrade to _'calm down, man and get away from her'_.

Tess pulled over parking in the entrance of another small site street that almost was too small for driving through. After getting out of the car and walking towards the crime scene which already had been secured she saw Evan rise up from a kneeling position. Of course she would meet him here and of course she would be forced to work with him again. Still she was absolutely positive that he had no idea with whom he was dealing with and closed his mind for the facts and for trusting his friends.  
"What have we got?" she asked him factually.  
"From the first look I got, seems to be a suicide", Even responded in the same manner and avoided to look Tess in the eyes.  
"So a jumper?" she dug deeper and he looked up to the right building.  
Tess followed his lead, stepping closer to him.  
"Definitely not thrown over, as far as I can tell from the impact", he commented on that and took another look at the corpse that already had been covered.  
Cat's partner turned around as well, knelled down and lifted the plastic blanked to take a look. She inhaled sharply, so that Evan got down as well.  
"Yeah, it's a gross view", he nodded.  
"It's not that", she answered, looking at the young man. "He's one of the possible witnesses in the case of the dead guy the FBI took with him."  
"I'll try to find evidence for a murder then," Evan got up again, just like Tess, who slightly lost balance.  
Even though there was no need for it, he instantly grabbed her shoulders and eventually looked at her. They exchanged glances just more than a little too long.  
"Thanks", Tess nodded.

For the last countless minutes JT had been walking up an down through his home, having absolutely no idea what to do with himself without having Vincent around. The thought of him being gone once and for all was chewing on his nerves. Since Tom had left he felt like almost loosing his mind. And then his eyes fell on his phone and along with them fixating on the device a thought manifested itself in his mind. Slowly, almost cautiously he stepped towards the cell, taking it only with his fingertips as if it was build from ashes. He unlocked, typed and brought it up to his ear to wait for the other person to take the call.  
"Sarah?" JT spoke when she answered. "Hi", he scratched the back of his head. "I was wondering if you might want to come over."

Cat had lost the ability to move as she realized that this man was one of the three that had held her captive following orders of Doc. She couldn't believe that this would be happening again. Not that rapidly after the first time. Forcing herself to function she reached for her gun that wasn't there and she had no idea where she had left it. At Jt's? At home? However it didn't make any difference, since it wasn't there.  
her opponent was just smirking at her, radiating aplomb like a thick fog around him.  
"I don't know you", Cat managed to steak out and moved to walk around him and much to her surprise he gave her her head, letting her pass. At least it felt like it for a moment.  
"There are two possibilities to handle this situation", she heard him speak behind her. "Either you are coming with me voluntarily, or you don't."  
She wasn't intimidated that easily with or without a gun, so Cat turned around to face him, giving him a frosty glare, that much to her satisfaction, seemed to impress him. Yet is wasn't enough since he simply smiled at her. Cautiously she tightened the grip around her car keys, slowly retreating while he followed.  
"I am a police officer", she warned him.  
"That doesn't change the options", Connor shrugged, following her like a big cat its prey. "Just get in the SUV, fasten the seatbelt and come with me without resistance. I would have using more violent actions."  
As far as Cat could remember he had been the nicest one of the three who had held her captive under Doc's orders.  
"What does he want from me now?" she demanded to know, slowly moving her right hand towards her pocket, hoping to reach her cell, but the man in front of her noticed immediately and shook his head, looking at her hand, making her stop. "Another blood sample?" Cat continued. "Or does he want to make some tests?"  
"Just get into the car", the young man responded calmly but in a determined tone. "There's no need for playing for time here, Catherine, there will be no one coming to safe you."  
These words ran down her back like cold sweat on a winter morning. And they made her stop in her movement. Yet she refused to believe him.  
"Vincent has left", Connor continued after pause, studying her facial expressions. "Through the sewer system into the metro. With a backpack. He left."  
The repetition of this fact made her macerated not just her knees.

Usually the dark blue hatchback would fit right in and not catch any attention amongst all the other cars that flooded the streets of New York, not even when it pulled over to park at the side, receiving a few honks. On the other side of the road, right at the entrance of a familiar apartment building stood a young, pretty woman, her brown hair with a pixie haircut, rummaging through her purse, to bring out her cell. As she read her text Heather sighed dramatically and pulled out her keys.  
No one exited the vehicle, it just waited, with its engine running. Only when a dark-haired man in his end-thirties approached her, the window moved down a bit to reveal a pair of brown, almond-shaped eyes watching, black hair framing what was seen from her face.  
"Uh, excuse me?" JTs friend asked with a radiant smile that made Heather startle."Does a …" he looked at Tess' note. "Catherine Chandler live here with her sister?"  
Heather had followed his glance to the note and looked back at him before he did, just to blush faintly as his eyes met hers again.  
"Yes!" she answered a little too enthusiastic, earning another smile in return. "I mean: yes. As a matter of fact I'm her sister."  
"Oh, nice to meet you, I'm Tom Gordon", he held out his hand.  
The woman in the dark watched them shake hands, making this typical gesture, but her eyes were glistening, frozen in movement.  
"We need to go", Doc said from the other half of the back seat, and the woman closed her eyes and turned away, closing the electric window again.  
And just like before no one noticed the dark-blue hatchback, pulling out from the side of the street, without anyone exiting or entering. It was only Heather frowning slightly as she opened the front door with her keys, who looked up and towards the other side of the road, where no one and nothing was.  
"Everything okay?" Tom asked in honest concern and she looked at him again with a tinily embarrassed smile.  
"Yes," she nodded and opened the door, being pleasantly surprised as he held it for her. "Just a weird feeling. You know what I mean? Like someone's watching me."  
"Well that's why I'm here", he replied with a charming smile and followed Heather inside.

Unintentionally Vincent had slowed down even though he didn't feel tired. There was this unseizable feeling in his guts that seemed to give his body additional weight, something he couldn't shake off, almost as if the beast inside him finally had managed to find a way to get itself across to him. Vincent stopped and exhaled once, frowning slightly. If it hadn't been so ridiculously he would have shouted out an unnerved 'What?!' but he didn't, instead he murmured to himself, rather to the monster scratching at the inside of his skin: "It's all your fault." He shook his head over himself. In the end he was loosing his mind after all.  
Everything in his body told him to turn around, everything apart from his mind and the guilt which weighted that heavily on him that he could feel in physically paining him. Vincent leaned his head back as if he was able to look beyond the brick and stone and dirt, the houses or cars above them to the sky, as he breathed in through his mouth trying to avoid the smells from this place. Memories of the day past ran through his mind as she tried to give them some sort of sense right here right now. Doc had come for Catherine and then he had told him where to find her. This exactly didn't make any sense to him. Taking all the notes, files, samples that JT had brought together in the last ten years and freaking him out so he wouldn't call the cops, yes, this made sense. On the other hand right when they would have been able to catch Vincent they didn't care at all. Why?

Standing on the roof top of the building from with the dead boy had jumped or not, Tess was alone with Evan who was looking around for evidence.  
"You're not asking"; she eventually stated after minutes of silence had passed.  
"For what?" was his reply even though it was obvious that he knew what she meant; so he added something different: "A date?"  
With one furrowed brow Cat's partner turned around to him to see him smirk at her, even though it wasn't that charming as it usually was like when being sincere.  
"Apart from that I know that I'm not your type, since I'm not a petite brunette", Tess stepped towards him smiling back playfully, "you know what I'm pointing at."  
His smirk vanished but not entirely.  
"It's not important anymore", he replied much to her surprise."He's not the one I'm really after anyway."  
This statement made her frown and he was well aware of that, just like she would question him about it if he didn't continue on his own.  
"So Doc gave you information about the cross-species you're after?" Tess was still faster in asking than him in continuing and he sighed: "You are really good at this. No wonder Bishop speaks that highly of you." She avoided his eyes and he was well aware of that, still Even went on: "Yes. And here's the thing: because he's not after him."  
There rang a bell in Tess' ears as she heard her friend and colleague speak of Vincent as a him and not it for the first time. However the information Evan had given her right now, was much more important: Doc wasn't after Vincent.  
"And what else does he want?" she tilted her head slightly, frowning.  
"I don't know."

Briefly Cat could see a glimpse of compassion in his brownish-green eyes as he watched her reaction to his words and realized that he probably was telling her this to weaken her resistance. Again she clasped her fingers around her keys ready to use them as a weapon if he would attempt to grab her. His facial expression told her that he knew. Like he had studied her for months. A shiver ran down her spine. What if he did? What if Doc and his venture had waited in the corners and shadows monitoring not just her but Vincent and JT as well? And all the others close to her?  
"What do you want?" she brought out much weaker than she had intended. The pressure of the air she had inhaled to shout at him was still in her lung, but she could barely breathe as panic crawled into her limbs.  
"You can ask Doc when we are there", her opponent answered with a slight growl in his voice, crouching down just a bit.  
The keys hurt her as she clenched her fist tighter, yet he didn't attack her, but still she moved her feet slightly to be able to react properly.  
"Why again?" she demanded to know, her voice still weak, but her eyes staring determinedly into his that gave her a faint chill. "Why now?"  
It was her own question and nothing had to do with him that made her gasp. Insight hit her hard. She had been at JTs and then to the hospital. To get a medication, a very specific one. Her body started shaking.  
"No", her voice trembled as well and she barely managed to shake her head or bring up her keys to keep him at bay.  
And then he snarled. It was most definitely that noise and it sounded so awfully, creepily familiar that Cat felt ill. However it wasn't the snarl that made her instinctively turn around trying to run, but the sudden golden-brown eyes, the eyes of a predator, glaring at her.  
Cat didn't stand a chance and realized that her attacking him would have been a better choice, since one of his hands grabbed the one with her keys, making it impossible to use it against him, while the other one, slid above beneath her free arm to grab her chin and press her upper arm against her body. Without any effort he lifted her up by her head and his legs stood between hers so she couldn't kick him. Like that he pinned her against the backseat side of car and even though she knew that struggling would help, only hurt, she did it anyways.  
"I was ordered not to hurt you", he hissed into her ear with an appreciably deeper voice. "But I will not take responsibility for you hurting yourself." She could feel claws at her throat.  
"Okay", she answered inaudibly and didn't dare to nod.  
"Let go of the keys", he ordered and his body pressed against made her more than uncomfortable; she did was she was told. "Now open the door and get in. Please."  
Cat knew perfectly well how she should take that plea: do not run, do not fight. She swallowed, but the tears in her eyes didn't want to disappear. And the man was right: Vincent didn't come to safe her.

While Tom was typing notes into his pad, heather was busy with gleaming at him, her chin supported by her entwined hands. Having shown him every room in the apartment they had talked about his job and possible security enhancements. Cat's sister was pleased to hear that he would monitor the plans and work processes of his students when they started working here. She was just about to ask him another question, as the phone rang. Then finally Tom looked up at her again and she smiled radiantly before she took the call: "Yes?"  
"Heather?" Tess asked, still standing on the roof top while Evan had gotten some enforcements up there. "Is Cat back? She doesn't answer her phone."  
"No, she isn't", Heather answered glancing at Tom out of the corner of her eyes, being too much distracted than able to uphold a normal conversation, which she realized in that second. "Maybe the battery is low. I don't know. I'll tell her to call you back when she comes home. Okay? Bye!"  
Tess stared at her cell in disbelief as Heather hung up on her.  
"She's not home yet?" Evan figured meanwhile and approached her, analyzing her expression. "What's wrong? Why are you worried all of the sudden? Since I told you that Doc's not after the beast."  
Cat's partner was utterly worried. She should have seen this, should have realized this, but Doc had played with her mind. Being so occupied with twisting and turning the fact which still lead to one conclusion in her mind, she didn't realize what she said until it was to late: "He's not a beast."  
"What did you say?" Evan didn't really ask, just wasn't sure if he really had heard right, and Tess tensing up slightly would have been answer enough.  
Her lips formed a thin line as she still tried to figure out what was happening. She had no time for babysitting an obsessed Evan.  
"That's what your fake intern told me. He's not a beast. He's human and you should stay away from him", Tess glared at him. "If Cat's not home yet and she's not answering her phone", she shook her head. "I can't believe that Doc is after her. Why would he be? It doesn't make any sense…."  
Evan was more than confused by her rambling words until he comprehended them: "What do you mean? Doc is after Cat. He let her go again, remember? Why would he..?" his eyes were narrowed and that didn't change even as Tess' were suddenly opened wide.  
She had the slight advantage that she not only knew Vincent, but that he had seen how he behaved when Cat was the topic of a conversation, she had witnessed his worry for her, how much he cared. Tess knew what he felt for her and she could tell that her best friend didn't feel different. She had been risking their friendship, her job, even her life for him.

The air was muggy and the tunnel was dark and dirty, somehow it made thinking not slightly easier. Vincent still hadn't moved, still tried to tie all these loose ends together. Right now he could scold himself for not taking at least a new phone with him. It had been because of this situation, that he would make up a reason to call JT or Catherine. Why did they tell him where he had been able to find her? So that they could go after JT and all their data? Why did he approach Tess and Evan? Vincent was sure that he could trust Catherine's partner with that, but not expose him?  
Without noticing he had started to pace up and down, while torturing his brain. His best friend was so much better in that and now he couldn't call and ask him.

"What?" Evan had asked her that probably more than the time she finally heard him.  
Tess could curse herself for not having taking JT's number. She would have to drive all the way back to him or to the station to call him and make sure that Cat was there. And then again with Vincent gone would she really be there if she was safe? Was she safe at all?  
"He took you out for a ride, Evan", Tess eventually looked at him. "He wants Cat because he knows that he will turn himself in for her without a fight."  
Her opponent frowned apparently having no clue what she was talking about until he realized: "That was why I found that sample in her bedroom. She was protecting him all the time and now she's in danger because of it."  
Tess rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything.  
"We will have to find Cat."  
Still she had no idea why they wouldn't think of the possibility that Vincent might leave so that he wouldn't put anyone in danger. However that wasn't important, at least not now as the both got off the roof top.

Vincent froze as a thought ran through his mind that made him tremble and the beast inside him ramble. Doc had brought Tess into the equation, probably because he knew that Catherine would trust her no matter what. Telling her best friend that he might infect her with something unknown to her would freak them both out. And then there was that camping night where she had behaved that differently, that unreasonably. It had been so unlike her. What had happened the day after he remembered perfectly. Had all of this been part of Doc's plan? If this man was able to foresee every action, he most definitely had been watching all of them for quite some time. And in that case he knew that Vincent would be leaving, which meant that he had to go back.

Cat had gotten into the car after he had taken her keys and her cell. Without saying a word or looking at him she was sitting next to him, staring out the front window, trying to memorize the road. Why didn't he blindfold her? This fact made her nervous. It meant that either there was no way out from where he was taking her, or he was planning to kill her. No other reason came into her mind and both possibilities made her feel sick.  
"No questions anymore?" he broke the silence and she looked at him from the corners of her eyes briefly, still not moving an inch, apart from tormenting her fingers.  
Reminding herself to focus on the road she ignored him. He wouldn't trick her again into thinking he wasn't a threat or a friendly guy. Cat swallowed. Amber eyes. Like Vincent. As this image came back into her mind she trembled and her view became blurry. Gritting her teeth she stared straight forward, even though it seemed that her mind refused to process the information that her eyes were giving.  
She needed to regain control over the situation as much as possible. Cat swallowed and straightened up. He wanted to talk apparently. Otherwise he simply could have knocked her over, or bound and gagged her, being completely at peace. Again she briefly looked at him, who was sitting quite relaxed and slightly smiling.  
"You like being like that", she stated, receiving a surprised expression in return.  
"Like what?" he asked directly, eyebrows lifted.  
"Like him", Cat gave back, trying to suppress the wave of emotion that drowned her the moment she thought of Vincent.  
"Keller?" the young man, probably about the same age as Heather, answered in a strange tone that she couldn't quite put somewhere: was he appalled? or honored? "No, I'm not like him."  
His answer confused her and made her frown; even though she still looked out of the front window she needed to remind herself to memorize again.  
"I don't understand", she admitted rather to herself.  
"He's a prototype, I'm a later generation", he answered openly.  
Cat couldn't tell what made her more uncomfortable: the fact that he spilled information like that or that he just had told her that Doc had continued Muirfield's and her mother's work and the result was sitting next to her.  
"Which one", she heard herself ask, trying to dig deeper and as she noticed the movement next to her, she instinctively turned her head towards him.  
Her captor smiled at her, almost grinning. Most definitely he was proud. It was strange knowing how Vincent felt about being what he was: not fully human. And this guy, sitting next to her, driving her God knows where, was feeling the complete opposite.  
"Third", he grinned and looked back at the road, so did she, but her face was blank and she felt frozen.  
Cat tried to process it, leaving the fact that she heard things that she shouldn't hear, that meant she would never get back to her normal life, out of her mind. There had been more experiments. And as if that wasn't enough: there had been a undefined group of people before: a second generation. She didn't dare to ask any further and her stomach was turning.

Silence returned into the car's cabin as Cat had trouble to keep it together. Her mind was working massively. Unknowingly she had wrapped her arms around her lower body. There was no way memorizing the road now as the thoughts tumbled chaotically though her mind, as they tried to find connections between them. Only one was constantly there, echoing in her ears, making everything worse: Vincent had left, the only one who could possibly find her.  
"Are you okay?" his voice ripped her out of the downward spiral that was her mind.  
Somehow Cat was even grateful for that, yet she frowned as she looked at him. However he didn't give her a chance to answer: "There's water in the box. Don't try to hit me, you know I'm faster."  
Of course he was able to hear her heartbeat and her shallow breath and therefore being able to tell that she was almost panicking, which he didn't need to wait for her reply. Him being that blunt about his senses was something very odd to her. He was the complete opposite of Vincent and Cat wondered if he'd been different if he had been able to control the best within him from the start, like this guy seemed to be.  
"Thanks", she responded, ignoring his statement and reached out to get the little bottle out of the glove locker.  
She opened it and heard the snapping sound of breaking plastic, which had been pristine until now. Before she took a sip her eyes ran over the cap which seemed to be untouched as well.  
"It's Connor", Cat heard him say and looked at him again, swallowing down the water; she had no idea how to answer to that.  
He just had told her his name. At least not his full name, but apart from that she had seen his face. There was nothing that could prove to her she would go back. Quickly she tried to fill her stomach with water, hoping it would keep it in.  
"I know you won't but try to relax", Connor said calmly, tearing his eyes from the street now and then to look at her. "No one it going to kill you."  
Hearing that Catherine shifted slightly, remembering the soreness and with it Vincent, who was maybe even not in New York anymore. She was distracted quickly by Connor's tensing facial expression, as if he had sensed something. Awful enough she recognized it from experience. Something was wrong.  
"Stop drinking", he suddenly said and his voice was slightly hoarse, slightly deeper and she stared at the bottle in shock, hastily screwing the cap back on.  
Cat had drunk half of the pint already.  
"What's wrong?" She dared to ask with a shaky voice. "What's in the water?"

He grabbed the steering wheel that tightly that his knuckles stood out white and for a second that fact freaked her out much more than him telling her to stop drinking the water. Even more as she could watch his features change slowly.  
"Connor", Cat addressed him in a mixture of warning and pleading.  
"Nothing", he pressed through his teeth as if he had been holding his breath and speed up the car.  
With a frown on her face she watched him and tried to sense if something changed about her, if she felt different or ill or anything like it. Yet it had an effect on him, a massive one and she could feel fear crawling up her skin. Connor smelled it and she seemed to be the source of it, since she had drunk the water. He shifted, he changed, because of it. Quickly she pressed the button to roll down the window, letting the cold and smelly outside air in and Connor seemed to relax.  
Still Cat watched him, as the tension of his body lessened and the grip on the steering wheel lessened. But as he looked over at her, his eyes were glowing amber and the glance made her heart stop for a beat. It wasn't anger or aggression, it was the absolute opposite. Quickly he looked away again, opening the window on his side and breathing in deeply.  
"This wasn't supposed to happen", she heard him say in a deeper, rougher voice.  
"What?" she blurted out before she could stop herself.  
Almost in awe Cat watched how he slowly regained control, yet not fully.  
"Just don't drink the water", Connor almost hissed at her and made her stare at the bottle, she moves slightly, ready to toss it out the window.  
"No!" he shouted at her - it was rather a roar - and Cat froze.  
Connor was tense again and she saw him looking into the review mirror, hence so did she: there was a police car driving behind them. Instantly her heart speed up. this was her chance to escape. Then she could feel his burning eyes on her.  
"Even think about it", he spoke in his beastly voice. "I'll roll up the windows and show you what wasn't supposed to happen."  
The memory of his glance, the tone in his voice told her what he was hinting and she did barely dare to breathe. Both her hands clung to the bottle now and she stared through the front window again. It had been one simple burning emotion in his eyes and Cat wondered if Vincent had smelled the same on her, maybe whatever Doc had injected her could have had such a delayed effect? Had this been the reason of it all? A drug when in a blood circular system that could evoke one simple basic emotion like lust?

Cat watched Connor from the corners of her eyes. The fresh air seemed to help since it sucked away whatever radiated off of her. Regarding the way he reacted it had to be something extremely heightening her attraction to him. She let the bottle drop to her feet, kicking it away.  
"Pheromones?" her voice was a little too high a little too distorted but she noticed him nodding. "I don't understand." Now Cat dared to look at him directly. Obviously he still breathed through his mouth, holding his head into the in streaming air.  
"Should I climb on the backseat?" her question wasn't because she worried for him but for herself, since she had no interest in being jumped by him. Not at all.  
"Just, stay where you are and don't move, don't get any closer", Connor answered, not looking at her. "We'll be there soon."  
Instinctively she looked out of the window but didn't recognize the street. They were still in New York but far from Manhattan. Nowhere she would have imagined a Black Ops lab, but in fact she had no idea what she would have expected. The area was rather poor, a place were windows of car quickly were smashed in that didn't belong here.  
"When I stop you walk directly to the entrance and I will follow you", Connor ordered. "If you try to escape or don't move quickly enough you'll be forcing me to close up to you and you wouldn't want that."  
"I thought a later generation meant enhancement?" they both couldn't believe that she just had said that.  
"I'm still a man", was his short answer, but it was enough to give her goose bumps.  
Cat held still and as close as possible to the door the last moments. She was too distracted by keeping an eyes on him than onto the road. Hopefully Tess had figured out that she was missing again and maybe he had forgotten to disable her cell so that her partner could find her. All she could remember that he had taken it along with her keys before he had shoved her into the car.  
For a moment Cat closed her eyes to calm herself down, to regain focus. And in that moment he pulled into some side street, speed up and the light went out. She wasn't unconscious, but as she opened her eyes again they were inside a building. Had he fooled her by telling her she could walk towards a door?  
Connor killed the engine and in that moment a bright light blinding her, enlightening an oddly simple door. No technical devices like a camera or console to type in a code. The door opened seemingly by itself as Connor got out the car. The slamming sound of the door made her flinch and reminded her to get out of the car as well quickly. She couldn't look anywhere else but into the black gap in front of her.

There was a phone laying on the ground and a slender female hand picking it up and exhaled sharply as its thumb brushed across the scratched display.  
"What have you got?" Evan asked and stepped next to Tess, who was frowning darkly as she answered: "That's Cat's", looking at it from all sides. "It wasn't next to her car. I don't believe that she dropped it."  
She looked at the empty parking spot next to the one her friend's car still occupied and then she looked towards the hospital. They had traced down the vehicle and the cell to this place.  
"There are cameras, maybe they got something", she said after starting to walk and Evan had to make large leaps to catch up to her.  
They didn't say a thing to each other, both much to concerned about their friend. However they both shares a similar thought as they pulled out their cells. Exchanging thoughts their expressions made clear that they wouldn't ask but tolerate whomever they would call. She was taking a chance, and he was playing safe.  
Tess continued walking and noticed how he stopped, but she didn't turn around to look at him, just brought up the cell to her hear, silently praying that it was still working. She had completely forgot about the emergency phone she had given Cat and desperately prayed that it was still on her, that whoever took her hadn't gotten the idea to check her for a second. Until now. If they would take it and cut off the call, Tess would know where to find her best friend.  
Evan watched her veer away from him as he waited right there for Doc to pick up his phone. He needed to know if Cat was with him again and why. His nervousness was taking over his body as his right food tapped onto the ground, waiting that this man who had promised so much and given so less would take the call and tell him that he hadn't taken her and being honest about it.

Vincent almost stumbled as his feet made an unexpected stop. Instantly he realized that his body had been quicker than his human mind again. There was a faint scent, he hadn't noticed hit if it wasn't for his beastly half: the wolf's sense of smell. He couldn't really put it into words or real thoughts, but even if it had been just little trail that already was gone when he had stopped he felt electrified and stunned. Again he inhaled deeply but somehow it was gone. He had no time going after it, since he needed to get home and make sure that Catherine was okay. Somehow he felt like something was slipping away through his hands. For the first time for a long time he believed to be able to trust in this instinct. Yet he had no idea that he didn't do that at all. Because if he had right now, he would have climbed up that rusty ladder and got out of the sewer below the hospital where Cat's car still was standing.

Connor's threat echoed in her mind as she reluctantly yet hastily walked towards the dark gap in front of her, still blinded by the light on top of it, like it was meant to make it impossible for anyone to see the inside.  
"Faster", she heard behind her and a chill grasped her body, instantly making her speed up, since he closed in on her: "Straight forward."  
Hearing that Cat didn't even dare to turn around and it occurred to her that he wasn't threatening her now but warned her. If he was affected by that scent that wafted around her… she swallowed and realized: of course there would be more of him. He was just the one bringing her in. As she had been captured there were three men guarding her. They all could have been whatever they called themselves.  
Watching her own foot step into the darkness Cat felt like being far away and like everything was slowing down in that moment. Even more when the second followed and she was surrounded by this bright light before everything around her went dark as she stepped inside. It took her by surprise that she simply walked on, had she expected to be jumped instantly and wrestled to the ground. Instead she just god into that hall that was barely illuminated without any incidence. Until Cat dared to relax a little.  
It was a roar. So much like Vincents and yet to different that stunned her, paralyzed her the very glimpse of a second Cat heard it. In the exact same time Connor was next to her and as she remembered to breathe she could hear a heavy object being smashed against metal that instantly made a clanking and aching voice. Her eyes were still adapting to the darkness of this place.  
"You think this is funny?" Connor's voice was extremely distorted, not really human anymore, deeper rougher, huskier.  
Another thunk. Cat was standing still, trying to hark the origin and stay away from it. And in that second she realized that she simply, slowly, silently could move backwards with little steps, the light radiating around her back leading the way.  
Another growl but it didn't sound like her captor. Still she snaked towards the for, almost holding her breath, cautiously, her hairs standing up straight. An awful crawling feeling spread across her back as she literally could see the light fade a larger shadow towering over her. Cat froze before she bumped into hindrance. The third one. Resignation mixed itself with panic. Her throat was blocked. She wanted to speak out Connor's name to help her as she could hear the beast behind her inhale deeply, but it felt so painfully, tormentingly wrong.

Eventually Tess turned around looking at Evan who still held his cell to his hear without talking, waiting just like her. The longer it took to answer the more concerned they both became. Though she was happy that the cell seemed to be still working and not to be found. On the other hand it could mean that it wasn't on her at all, that she maybe had left it at home. And for him every single tone he heard repeated one single thought in his head over and over again: he's got her and it's your fault.  
Tess flinched as heard nothing but beeps telling her that the signal had broken off. She had no idea what it meant, but it was enough. With Vincent gonge there was no need protecting him anymore and this was about Cat now. Even though she had no real proof she wouldn't keep this undercover any longer. Killing off the lost signal she called Bishop. Doc couldn't think he had all the good cards in his hands, now he would have to deal with the police of New York City.  
Watching her dial a new number Evan started to feel sick as no one answered his call. He couldn't believe his own obsession had grown that strong that it threatened someone he cared deeply for. If something happened to her, if she got hurt, he would never forgive himself. His hand with his cellphone slowly sunk as he suddenly heard a voice: "Evan", it was Doc answering.  
Quickly he brought the cell back to his ear and did not waste time with courtesy: "Do you have her?" His eyes met Tess as she heard his words.  
"You might want to be a little more precise on that", was Doc's answer and he could tell that he was smirking, which made him clench his jaw.  
"Did you take Catherine Chandler?" Evan tried to keep calm, realizing that this again might be not exact enough.  
"No, I didn't", he heard from the the other end of the line and he already had expected that:"Did you have her taken in? Is she there with you, close to you?" he added hastily trying to rule out every gap he might be able to slip through.  
The silence was almost answer enough to him, but still he had to hear it.  
"She just arrived", Doc's voice was cold and Evan stunned by the information he had given him. "As I have told you: no one will stop me from taking what I want. I thought you realized what this is about, at least a little."  
Tess had come closer and her face mirrored Evan's: worry, shock and confusion. He wasn't able to respond, just stared back into his friends eyes listening into the silence. He wasn't sure if Doc was waiting for him to answer or just making a dramatic pause.  
"Where are you and where is she?" Even finally managed to bring something from his mouth and Tess was taken aback.  
"If you want to risk your life you have to find that out for yourself", and the call was killed.

Cat was sure that all three of them could hear her heartbeat like a drum, because within a second there was nothing else she was able to hear at all: just her fast pulse echoing in her ears and a low hum, that was resonating in her body, oddly enough it didn't origin from her heart but her hip, the right one to be precise. She would have sworn that she couldn't be more shocked than she already was, yet it happened. And maybe that was the reason why the other two were that quiet while the other one didn't move behind her. Cat was honestly revealed and equally freaked out about that. As her eyes were more adjusted now she saw the others approaching her slowly, slightly crouching, tilting their heads as if she was something peculiar.  
Then abruptly they stopped, tensing up almost as if they were in pain, slightly squirming. Cat watched them bring up their hands to the ears as if they wanted to shield them from something and as she could hear footsteps slowly approaching she realized that they in fact heard something. She turned around to watch a shadowy figure enter the hall and it took her only a few minutes until she recognizes Doc who was blowing a whistle. Cat couldn't help herself but be disgusted as she realized what this meant: that it was some sort of dog whistle. It was disgusting how perfectly it seemed to show how this man thought about his subject.  
Someone else switched on the light, blinding her and the three beastly men as well. As soon as she was able to see clearly again she discovered that Doc had put away his instrument and his three dogs were back to normal. Had he trained them to shift back like that? Or were they simply able to do it by will, only needed to be reminded.  
While Doc stepped closer the three men moved away from her, still glaring as if she was some piece of fresh meat. Apart from Connor. Cat couldn't quite put it but his glance was slightly different. She wasn't sure if she should be more afraid of his look than the others.  
"Welcome", Doc smirked at her. "Would you please follow me?"  
Cat couldn't believe that this man didn't give a damn about what just had happened and what might have happened. This was insane. His hand on her back made her flinch, but still she walked with him, catching herself how she looked back to Connor yet she felt the eyes of all three on her.  
"What the hell am I doing here!" she yelled at him evading his touch as soon as they had stepped through the door he had taken to enter.  
"It was your choice", Doc simply answered. "I warned you, you didn't listen. So I have to take you in, make sure that you didn't… catch anything. otherwise I have to keep you here under my supervision."  
Cat just stared at him with her mouth open. She needed a moment to answer: "There's no way he could have infected me with anything!"  
Doc slightly tilted his head, giving her a teaching glance as if he had caught her lying. She was puzzled. Inside her mind there was a hunch a thought, but she refused to hear it.  
"You were at the hospital", he eventually answered seemingly concerned.  
"But I'm not ill!" she almost shouted back, her heart hurt in her chest as it dawned to her what he was implying, still denying to accept its truth.  
"The medication you bought doesn't heal an illness", Doc simply answered and grabbed her upper arm tightly. "Follow me or I will ask Connor to carry you."

For more than a second Cat thought of taking the risk that he was keeping up to his threat but then again he probably still would smell that stuff on her. Awkwardly but pouting she eventually followed Doc, grabbing her jeans which first button had been ripped of, reminding that the small cell Tess had given her still was shoved into its smallest pocket unable to slip out of it. She knew that if she wanted to have a chance to be found, that she had to keep it hidden, maybe place it somewhere just to be safe. With luck her friend would remind it, with chance she would be able to trace it down, trace the places where she was quick enough. Cat had no idea not a clue how powerful Doc was, or if he simply was a hell of an actor.  
As the walked on the tried to map the building in her head, to make a sketch but it was difficult. She felt like they were going in circles, like he wanted to distract her, before the took the stairs. And while the lower level seemed to be rather dark as soon as Doc opened the door to the first floor she felt like entering a hospital, or a ward. After another glimpse she had decided for herself: this was a laboratory and she couldn't shake off the feeling that she was one of the rats.  
It took her some effort to pick up the topic again, maybe because she still wanted to believe that she had misunderstood: "What is all of this about? Why are you bringing me here?"  
"Because you left us no other choice, Catherine", Doc turned towards her. "I thought that maybe if I'd freak you out enough, force you closer to him, that you would run. She told me that it was already to late for that. That this wasn't you. I guess she was right and I was wrong. But to be honest", he smirked in a way that that made her shudder. "She was hoping to be wrong and I hoped for her to be right. And now we are here and all my hopes lay with you know. It was your choice and you chose to be here."  
Cat shook her head with a frown. this guy was talking in riddles and he was most definitely a nutjob. As if watching a movie her eyes followed his hand that was reaching out to stroke across her upper arm which he had grabbed that roughly just minutes before.  
"I didn't choose anything", she backed of and slipped away from his though in disgust, turned around to grab the doorknob; but the second she touched it she could hear how it locked itself automatically.  
"You chose him", it was a different voice, female, a tone, a level, a sound long forgotten never to be heard again; Cat didn't dare to turn around. "Just like I did."  
Trembling terribly her hand slapped against the door to support herself she was incapable to move. Her own voice was broken, disbelieving, hoping and shattered, just like a child's that just had woken from a nightmare:"Mom?"


	8. Radioactive

• Chapter 8 • Radioactive • [R]

"I'm sorry, I was pretty sure my sister would show up soon", Heather leaned across the counter again, placing her chin onto her interlaced hands.  
"Don't bother, I'm enjoying the coffee", Tom replied with a charming smile, still working on his tabled that had turned out to be also a mountable display to his laptop.  
"Whatcha doing?" she asked not really out of interest but because she was becoming bored, since her flirting attempts seemed to be filly ignored.  
"I thought I'd prove my skills to you while waiting", he looked across the glasses he had put on and beamed at her. "Here, take a look", he placed his laptop onto the counter only turning the display towards him. "Looks like the street cameras and the security cameras are perfectly covering the block."  
Heather's facial expression derailed in awe as she saw a dozen different camera views around the apartment building:"You hacked the city cameras?"  
"Nah", Tom shook his head and chuckled. "I optimized the software a while ago and let myself a door open. The security system of this building though", he shook his hand and pursed his lips in a frown. "Much too easy, but I can handle that later. If you still want me." His expression turned into a radiant smile.  
Heather was instantly blushing and giggled, avoiding to look at him directly.  
"Didn't you have an odd feeling about being watched earlier?" Tom continued after enjoying the effect he had on her and she nodded, looking at him in curiosity. "Well just give me a sec", JT's colleague turned the display towards him again and started typing.  
Heather took the chance to get around the corner and stand next to him, watching what he was doing across his shoulder. He didn't need to look at her that she wasn't understanding or comprehending anything she saw. Anyways he was finished within a minute.  
"These are the cameras looking at the street and across it", he showed her two different views by directing with his index finger, before he typed shortly again. "And here's a car. See the dark blue hatchback?" Tom showed again and Heather was simply staring. "There: the window's going down a little. You were right."  
"Oh my God that's creepy", Cat's sister blurted out.  
"Well it is", Tom replied furrowing his brows. "Maybe we'll get closer look, because as you can watch: no one's getting in or out of the car. Damn I can understand why you want to have a better security system. I thought my students would have more time for planning but it seems we're quite in a hurry."  
"Uh- guess so", Heather looked at him now close enough to smell his aftershave, quickly backing away again and focusing on that car.  
Even though she wasn't able to recognize the person in the darkness, who had looked at her, this strange feeling in her stomach was back.  
"Maybe … with a little effort", Tom was rather murmuring to himself. "I can get the license plate."

One of the many things JT loved about Sarah was her ability to distract him from all his worries. Being around her made everything lighter, brighter and less straining.  
"No now you're living here all alone?" she asked in honest interest sitting down across the kitchen table, after he had shown her around.  
Of course she had no idea that he just had thought about how she managed to worry less and brought up right the issue that tended to torment him. So JT sat down with a sigh trying not to show how concerned he was about Vincent leaving.  
"Well yes", he answered with a slight frown. "It was…"  
JT couldn't really explain because right in that moment both sides of the metal door flew open, making both him and Sarah jump and stare at the entrance and the figure that stepped inside.  
"Vincent?"  
"So I guess that's your room mate?" Sarah's glance jumped between the two men, not really asking but making a statement.  
"Uhm… hi", Vincent managed to bring out, dropping his back pack and reached out to shake the woman's hand, as gently as possible. "I'm Vincent", he reminded himself to add a smile.  
"Sarah", she shook his hand and smiled back at him friendly.  
"W….what….. w…why?" was the only thing JT brought out, much to his girl-friends amusement.  
"Order has been canceled", Vincent responded, not really lying not really telling the truth, but it was the only thing that came into his mind.  
"Oh", Sarah and JT replied simultaneously, though in different tones.  
She was figuring out a lot from this poor sentence: "So that's why…"  
"Yes", both Vincent and his best friend answered before she had even spoken out her thoughts.  
"So I've never met you", Sarah grinned at Vincent. "And JT's living ll alone here. Got it. What a shame", she turned around and winked at her boy-friend. "I think I need to go to the bath room."  
Both men blinked at each other when she walked out of the room not without giving JT a peck on his cheek, like she was telling him whatever was going on with Vincent she was fine with it.  
"Well that was easy", was all he could say in that moment and Vincent simply nodded in agreement: "She is awesome."  
Still he was catching his breath when he was continuing to speak: "I need to call Catherine."  
"Oh, okay… of course", JT started but shook the head over himself, turned around and got his cell. "Here you go. I send my friend over to her apartment to meet up with her sister since Tess couldn't reach her."  
Instinctively he pulled the device out of his friends hand when he saw Vincent's reaction: a flash of amber in his eyes, a tremble moving though his body.  
"What's wrong?" he demanded to know, slightly freaking out.  
Vincent needed a moment to answer.  
"It's a hunch", he tried to explain. "Somehow I just … know that she's in danger."

Tess and Evan still looked at each other as he slowly removed his cell from his ear. He tried hard to keep his facial expressions in check but the thin line that his lips formed told her everything. Apart from that hiding the truth or wrapping it in nicer words wouldn't help.  
"He has her", was all Even could say in that moment and it was enough to darken Tess' features in a way that he hadn't imagined to be possible, and for him to know that he would never ever be on no other but her side.  
"I'll call it in, and order tracking down the second cell", Tess replied after a few moments of reconsideration. "You get the tapes of the surveillance, and wait for the unit to come here and collect evidence."  
"Second cell?" Evan responded in confusion. "And what are you going to do?"  
Cat's partner glared at him making it obvious that she believed in his complicity which made his bad conscience even worse. She wouldn't need to remind him that it was his obsession about something that Cat asked him to let go off brought them right here.  
"We brought her out of town for a night after she was taken, she was never home in bed pretending to be sick. She came back to find whoever had abducted her to protect the one you are after", Tess almost hissed at him, pinching him in the shoulder with her index finger as she spoke. "As he told you it was her who he had been after all the time and all of this was just to scare him off. You're nothing but a pawn in his game."  
"You know him?" was the only thing that dropped out of Evan's mouth.  
For a second Tess' jaw dropped and she stared and blinked at him in disbelief.  
"You gotta be kidding me", she whispered before exploding into scolding him. "For all I know he saved your life! And Cat's! More than once! He might not be a knight in shining armor and he might be guilty in many things but he is a good person, because he tries. And when Cat trusts him, I do trust him. And if she protects him from you I damn sure will too."  
With that Tess turned away and marched down the hospital's corridor, her heels hacking into the ground, creating a loud clacking noise as she left. Evan just watched her, rubbing the spot she had tortured with her finger, before he headed into the other direction to do as she had told him.

Cat still hadn't moved, still stared onto the white door at the white wall and her withe hand on the door knob. She knew that she had to be dreaming. Most definitely they had injected her something again to knock her out, even though it didn't make any sense since she already was here. Then again there was no answer to her plea. Quickly Cat turned around, instantly leaning against the door. There was only Doc towering over her like a wolf over a mouse.  
"Let's get her in the examine room."  
Looking up to Doc who couldn't have spoken since this voice clearly had sounded like her mother's a shudder shot though her body as she saw him smile. Reluctantly she pushed her back into a standing position, since she didn't really want to believe that it was true, that her mother was standing there, behind him, ordering to get her somewhere to be examined. But then again… Cat made a step to the side to look at the person who sounded to much like her mother, just to be stunned. Everything else was forgotten in this moment. How she came to be here, why she seemed to be here, what had happened the last, hours, days, months, years. It was her and there was no doubt about it. Ironically it wasn't her mind that accepted the truth but every fiber of her body.  
"Mom!" there was no tone and no strength in her voice as she stumbled forward, towards the woman dressed in white, wearing a doctor's overall, a pen, a record tablet and a stern expression.  
In the moment Catherine wrapped her arms around this woman, she had expected to grip into thin air, to fall over and onto the ground, with reality mocking her; but instead she embraced a warm, living, and much too real body. She had no idea what would have been worse: this or what she had wanted to be real. Burning tears poured out of her eyes as she inhaled deeply, smelling the scent she had believed to never sense again, feeling hands move across her back that she never had hoped for her to hold again. Catherine felt how her mother stroke across her hair like she always had done, how she kissed her temple in her very own gentle way and she hold her tighter.  
"Catherine", she heard her mother's voice; sounding so incredibly real, her tone so typically hers caringly, worrying, telling her that she was her little daughter and always would be, no matter what.  
"Mom", Cat whispered, her voice husky and still weak. "Mom. I can't believe this is real", she murmured into Vanessa Chandler's hair, not seeing how she looked up at Doc while holding her daughter in a mixture of plea and determination.  
"Shh, I'm so sorry, Catherine", she responded softly, her gaze towards him now full of torment as she gave him a slight nod, stroking her daughter's hair.  
The closed her eyes as Doc stepped closer, pulling out an automatic syringe and press it against Cats neck. She was knocked out instantly.

Heather and Tom leaned onto the counter shoulder to shoulder, trying to get a closer look to the person who had been watching them at the entrance and the license plate. Even though they had wrote it down minutes ago, she was still doubting it and he was playing along.  
"We could try and trace down the car, see where it has gone to", Tom suggested and Heather looked at him in awe, instantly blushing because she was that close to him: "You can do that?"  
"Well it will take some time, but I've got no class today", he shrugged and then frowned. "On the other hand I promised JT to take a look at his place as well."  
"JT?" Heather frowned now.  
"The guy who send me over, who Tess called you about", Tom furrowed one brow.  
"Oh, Vincent's friend", Heather's face lightened up.  
"Who's Vincent?"  
Both looked at each other in confusion.  
Just in that moment the phone rang, though Heather needed to be reminded by him that she had to take the call, which she did reluctantly.  
"Yeah?" she answered, slightly annoyed.  
"It's me, Tess", the caller responded. "Do you have by any chance an idea what Cat's code for her cell it?"  
A frown appeared on Heather's face: "What do you need that for?"  
"I don't have time for this. Your sister's in trouble and I need to unlock her cell."  
"Uh… I don't know all of them, usually it's our Mom's birthday…"

Tess lips formed a thin line as she typed in the numbers, bu Cat's cell wouldn't unlock. She let out a deep sigh before she spoke to Heather again: "Any other idea? I really need to speak to a friend of hers and I don't have his number."  
"You mean Vincent?" her partner's sister asked and Tess was startled for a moment, staring on the device in her hand. Could it be so easy?  
After one little shrug she typed the numbers.  
"Well Tom is still here, I'm sure he has JT's number and he'll have Vincent's", Heather continued at the other end of the line, but Tess was too surprised that she had found the right code to unlock her friend's phone. Still when Heather started talking about a blue hatch back that seemingly had watched her.  
"It's okay, I got it", Tess just staid and hung up, leaving Cat's sister in the situation to look at her phone in disbelief.

JT and Vincent exchanged a long glance, before the sound of water flushing reminded the both of them that there was a guest. Even though the situation could have been better they smiled briefly at each other as JT placed the phone back in Vincent's hand, just the second as it rang. Once again pulling back the device, JT took the call instantly, his face mirroring his inner tension: "Forbes?"  
"You were right", said the voice at the other end, making him frown before he realized who was speaking. "There was someone watching Heather when I arrived. It thought it was just a coincidence, but I've started a recognition trace with the car and license plate. It seems that the same car was at your area this morning. A dark blue hatchback?"  
JT's brain needed a re-start after hearing this and tortured Vincent with the long pause this created. Realizing this he blinked a few times and although he knew that Sarah was just coming back into the kitchen, he told Tom that he would put him on speaker.  
"Yes, I've seen that blue hatch back, closer than I preferred", he continued after that, looking at his best friend, who immediately understood, just like Sarah seemed to comprehend just by the tone of his voice, placing her hand on his shoulder.  
"I guessed to", Tom continued, "since it was the same car that dropped you off at work. I just wanted to be sure before I trace the plate."  
Again the room mates exchanged glances.  
"You should give the license plate to Tess", Vincent eventually decided to speak and on the other side of the line sprouted silence for a moment.  
"That's Vincent", they could hear Heather join the conversation from a distance and the sounds that followed showed that Tom put them on speaker as well now. "Hi", she continued. "I believe that Tess might be trying to reach you. She found Cat's cell. I'm not sure what's going on, but all she said is that Cat's in trouble."  
JT and Vincent looked at each other again, even more worried now.  
"Okay, give us the license plate and Tess' number, we'll try to call her", spoke the latter.  
"And Tom, please stay with Heather, just to be sure", added the first.  
"I'll try to find out where the car is now", was Tom's answer.  
After hanging up JT looked at Sarah helplessly. He had no idea how to explain all of this, just as much as Vincent, who was already typing Tess' phone number.  
"It's okay", Sarah rubbed both JT's shoulder's gently. "I know you've got lot of secrets. I can wait. Just … if I can help, tell me."

Tess was scrolling through Cat's contacts, but she couldn't find what she was looking for. Probably her friend had used a different name for their number or she simply had none. Could this be possible? It made sense since this was a very good and simple way to protect them. Almost dropping the cell as her own buzzed in her jacket, Tess quickly pulled it out to see that an unknown number was calling her. She didn't think twice about taking the call: "Vargas?"  
"It's Vincent", this was enough to take off the edge.  
"Thank God", she exhaled. "I was trying to reach your friend and maybe you."  
"So I have heard", was the reply from the other line, worry darkening the voice. "Listen, don't ask me how, but you might be looking for a dark blue hatch back. This car has been following Catherine's sister and was the one that … uhm .. gave JT an unwanted lift to work."  
Tess listened closely and as she heard the license number she instantly knew whose car this was: "There's no chance tracking down the origin of that car. It's Doc's and I already knows that he has her."  
The other side of the line became silent. All she could hear how Vincent breathed in and out deeply.  
"I'm standing right next to her car", Tess continued but he cut her off. "We've got someone trying to track down the car with the city's surveillance cameras, but I have no idea how long it will take them. Tell me where you are, maybe I can catch…." Now he stopped himself, simply because Sarah was standing next to him.

"Uhm… I can drive you", she suggested after Vincent had hung up and both him and JT stared at her in disbelief. "Seriously", she shrugged. "If this is some undercover stuff the most definitely won't suspect me to be a part of it."  
"I don't want you to be a part of it", JT stated with determination.  
Sarah sighed and gave him a soft smile.  
"Well, this is my call."

Evan had done just like Tess had told her, which is why he was surprised to find her in the parking lot as he left the hospital to wait for the evidence unit.  
"I thought you wanted to go back to the department?" he asked her.  
"Well change of plans", she gave back at him a little too grumpy. "I know you're not used to go through video material but you can always have some field experience right? So why don't you start with that?"  
"Do you want to get rid of me?" Evan asked being suspicious.  
"To be blunt: yes", Tess almost glared at him now. "I don't trust you anymore, Evan. Cat was right. You are obsessed and it's your fault that she is in trouble. If you had told us bout Doc we could have stopped this before it started."  
"If Cat would have been honest with me, I wouldn't have accepted his offer", was his answer. "She could have told me that it was a friend of hers."  
"Would you have believed her?" Tess responded.  
"Yes", Evan was upfront but obviously she started to annoy him.  
"Would you have let it go if she had told you? Wouldn't you have started to ask her to meet him? Over and over again?" her eyes were narrowed now as they both knew the answer to that question.

When Catherine awoke she was lying in a bed and bright light was blinding her. Bringing her hand up to cover her eyes, she realized that she wasn't wearing her clothes anymore but a hospital shirt. She was awake less than a glimpse of her eyes and sat up. The room was completely empty, apart from the hospital bed she was lying in. It had no windows and apparently no door, at least non that was identified by a knob. Looking up the light bulbs were hidden behind transparent panels.  
As she noticed how her breathing became shallowly and much to fast, just like her heart beat she tried to calm herself down, inhaling and exhaling long and deep but still shivery. It was in that moment as she felt the injection needle in her left hand, connected to a bag of fluid. She tried to read the words on it but her eyes didn't want to focus. This was much to surreal. With shock she realized that there was no chair or table with her clothes. Her second cell! Now she would have no chance to call anyone. Cat's thoughts started racing and she uncovered her legs, looking at them being bare and unclothed. Once again she tried to fight down a panic attack, that was trying to take over her body.  
"Hello?" she wanted to shout but barely brought out a sound.  
Swallowing dryly she looked around only to remind herself that there was nothing. Only the injection needle. That was better than nothing.  
"Hello?" Cat cawed once more and her lips formed a thin line as she pulled the needle out of her hand, which instantly started bleeding.  
Quickly she pressed the white blanket onto the injury, rubbing slightly so that it would close up faster. She wouldn't wait here like one of Doc's test subjects, Cat told herself, pushing the memory of her mother into a dark corner of her mind. It had only been an hallucination, imagination caused by the drugs he had given her.  
Cat jumped off the bed, her knees wobbly, but managed to get to the closest wall quickly. There had to be a door and when no one answered to her, she might have enough time to find it and maybe a way out. She was no lab rat, but a cop. And even though Vincent had left, it didn't mean that she was helpless. He had been able to survive and stand up straight without him. She would go on without him. Cat swallowed, her legs wanted to give in, but she wouldn't. Even without him.

None of them had moved, both still staring at each other. Tess had no idea if it was just his stubbornness or if Evan really did think that he wasn't the source of what had happened to Cat. Surely if she never had met Vincent, she probably wouldn't have bin in trouble, would she? On the other hand as far as Tess understood the beginning of it all lay further in the past and had something to to with Cat's mother.  
"Seriously Evan, you should…." Tess started but was interrupted by her cell buzzing.  
Instantly she took a look at it, seeing that it was a text and read it, while he was watching her closely, as if he would be able to get the information from her face.  
"You know what?" she started walking without looking up to him, heading back to the hospital. "Just as planned. Stay here and wait, I'll get a look at the tapes."  
There was not a single hint that she might be lying, so Evan stayed where he was, watching as she veered away from him. Just in that moment a car passed by seemingly heading for the entrance only to drive further to the side of the building and Tess changed direction as well. Instinctively Evan followed.

Vincent was relieved as the saw that Tess had already read his text, which he had send from his disposable cell, and already was walking to the point he had suggested they'd met. Sarah did just like he had told, stopped briefly to let him step out of the car and instantly continued to drive out of the reach of the hospital's surveillance cameras he placed his hands in his pockets and waited for Tess to walk towards him. Seemingly no one had noticed an he turned his back on the parking lot, when she had reached him. It was difficult to hark to different noises, still he tried to make sure that no one came too close to them.  
"The car is standing over there", Tess skipped the courtesy of greeting him.  
"Yes, I figured", Vincent nodded. "Can you make sure that I can have a moment there? So see if I catch up … a scent?"  
She nodded in response: "The unit hasn't arrived yet, so I'll tell…." Tess cut off herself as her eyes caught something behind Vincent.

As he had caught up he recognized Tess talking with another person, taller as her, wearing a parka with a folded up collar and a cap. Even though it was suspicious, he decided to wait for a moment, so that maybe he could see the man's face, but Tess had been quicker, she had seen him, and obviously she wasn't pleased that he had tried to sneak up on them. And then as the man she was talking to slowly turned around, he realized who he might be. For a second he was stunned, just to be utterly surprised as the only unusual thing he saw about this person was a huge scar across his face.

Evan had difficulties to hide his disappointment as he walked over to the two of them. Silently he scolded himself for expecting that his beast would simply show up like that. Whoever this guy was, possibly he was nothing more than an informant, someone who maybe had seen something. Certainly a CI because otherwise he wouldn't have to be that concealing. On the other hand he had no clue where to put Tess' look but he figured that she still was mad at him, still blaming him for Cat's fate, when it was her own. Yet he felt crushed about what had happened to her.  
"Hi, Evan Marks", he reached out his hand to the man who looked at it strangely as if he didn't know the gesture.  
But Vincent didn't know perfectly well as she took the hand to shake it, he tried his very best to compost himself. Even though he had never met this man before, he knew too well who he was. The one who was after him, the one who had kept his knowledge about Doc to him self, the man whose fault it was that Catherine was in his hands now.  
Tess wasn't ignorant about the tension in Vincent's jaw and the twitching in the corners of his mouths as he tried to smile friendly, when he introduced himself merely as "Vincent." Watching Evan's surprised reaction she spoke before he was able to. "He's an CI of Cat's and mine and I'd appreciate it if you'd … leave."  
"If he has any information regarding Cat I'd like to know", was his response and Vincent inhaled sharply and chose to ignore him, addressing Tess: "I know one will probably have problems to trace the disposable cell of hers, but I'm pretty sure that if he" - his eyes wandered briefly to Evan - "is in contact with Doc, he will have his number as well. Tracing down two phones, looking for a spot where they both are, would make it quicker."  
Tess nodded: "Yeah, you're right, Evan?"  
Her colleague was too confused about the knowledge this Vincent seemed to already have that he unlocked and handed over his cell without thinking twice, while his eyes never left the other man's face, who seemed to avoid his eyes.  
"How do you know?" eventually said as Tess was busy with calling the station and dictating the number.  
"I just do", Vincent gave back, clinging his eyes to the back of Catherine's partner.  
Yet he could feel the piercing glance of this man on him.  
He turned quickly, being to restless and on edge to endure this. His thoughts were with Catherine and he wouldn't rest until he knew she was safe. Every hod-up was a waste of time. Vincent walked over to Catherine's car and Evan let him go at first being to confused about that man's jumpy behavior. But curiosity caught him and he followed as he watched the stranger crouch down next to the vehicle. If he wouldn't know it better, he'd bet that this guy was sniffing.

It took her a little time, but after Catherine had calmed down her breath and composed her heart beat she was able to balance herself and stand straight. So she slowly moved from panel to panel, pushing against them, moving her fingertips across them and along their rims, hoping to find an opening in this white cube that seemed to be her room and prison. Did they want to make her think that she was in an asylum? And believe that she was insane? That nothing had happened? Why would they? Maybe it was the best for all of them if she believed that Vincent had never existed, that all of this was a creation of her mind, still trying to process the violent death of her mother.  
Catherine's stream o thoughts was interrupted as the next panel she pushed again, gave in slightly, making a faint clacking noise. Surprised she looked at it, hadn't she expected to find anything. With the bloody needle still in her hand, she examines the rim of the panel, pushing against it once more. Then suddenly she heard a clacking sound from the other side of the room. Instantly she turned around and the needle slipped out of her hand, creating a clinking sound as it hit the cold and even floor, that made her bare feet freeze.  
"Mom", she whispered yet again in disbelief, but there she was standing opposite to her in front of an almost invincible door that was opened just a split.  
"You shouldn't have pulled that out, Catherine", Vanessa Chandler scolded her daughter - at least it sounded like it, but both their eyes fell on the needle in front of Cat's toes.  
Quickly she leaned down to grab it, feeling how her head felt dizzy again. Cat needed to support herself against the fake wall to not fall on her knees. Her mother didn't move to help her, as she straightened up again and she swallowed down the lump in her throat.  
"You're not my mother", was her only reply and she stayed where she was, tightening the grip around the needle, her only weapon of choice now.  
The woman who looked like Cat's mother seemed to be concerned, worried and somehow sad, but she didn't say a thing.  
"What have you done to me? What was in this water? Why do I feel so weak?" Cat demanded to know, leaning herself against the wall with a frown. She didn't feel really weak, just slightly worn out and numb. Her whole body was simply numb as is she had run a marathon, as if her muscles had been stretched for to long; mostly her legs and hips. There was only one thing in her experience that had felt the same, when she had been at her gynecologist. It was her anger, her outrage that made her ignore the ache in her muscles and walk towards this woman that couldn't be her mother.  
"Catherine, please", she suddenly spoke again, dropping the clipboard she was carrying and lifting up both her hands, stepping towards her calmingly.  
Tears gathered in Cat's eyes, because she knew, she doubtlessly knew that this was her mother, but there was no painless explanation for her to be there, right there in front of her.

Vincent was so stunned by the fact he recognized this scent that he didn't notice Evan following him. And then he has to restrain himself from flinching too early. Instinctively he tensed, feeling rage boiling up inside of him as this man approached him, being bluntly curious, not knowing what kind of thoughts and pictures flew through Vincent's mind: like slicing open his throat, no rather his stomach so that he could watch himself bleed to death slowly, while he would pull out his guts.  
Vincent closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. No matter how big Evan's part in Catherine's second abduction was, killing him wouldn't help her, even less if he got caught because of this. So he tried to focus on this scent, despite the skepticism and suspicion of his bystander.  
Her scent seemed to be stronger at the other side of the car, so he got up and moved around. It stunned him like a slam in his face. A second smell, a kind he had never expected to gather again, yet there it was, even though sightly different. Vincent was slightly freaked out, but he had to compose himself in front of Evan. Rising up from his again crouching position the memory hit in, from the scent he had found at Catherine's apartment. It was almost the same. Why hadn't he realized it? That it hadn't been entirely human? Did whatever they had given Catherine had had an effect on him as well? However there was no time for that. He needed to find her.  
Tess was already about to come over to them, giving Evan another glare, before she was addressing Vincent: "They are on it. Have you found something?"  
"Yes", he nodded in return, and pointed to the following parking spot. "He parked right next to her." Following the scent, he walked towards the third spot just to return again, his expression hardening. "And he approached her here. Something might have caught her interest." He frowned.  
"Maybe it's on the tapes", Tess mused and gave Evan a stern look who was puzzled about what Vincent said.  
"Is he a psychic or something?" he furrowed one brow.  
"He", his colleague answered. "Is standing right next to you."  
"Don't mind", Vincent looked at her, slightly lifting one hand to underline his words. "I'll follow the trail. Will you keep me updated?"  
Evan's glance jumped between the two of them, trying to figure out if they were using some sort of secret language, because he definitely felt left out here.  
"I'm coming with you", he simply decided. "There's nothing I can do here anyways."  
Now both Vincent and Tess looked at him with a strange combination of annoyance and disbelief.  
"No, you're not", his colleague refused before the other one could say anything. "You'll only slow him down and expose him."  
"I'll just drive him"; Evan shrugged, not comprehending where the problem was.  
He watched Vincent simply look at Tess for a moment, before he turned around ans started walking. Some seconds passed before Evan realized that he was literally following the trail: by foot. Insight hit him like a train but he still couldn't believe it.

Catherine blinked and stopped moving as her mother spoke to her, holding up hand, palms facing her. It was an odd scene since she used trying to calm Vincent down that when when he was about to lose himself.  
Called by the sound of the falling clipboard a man in white clothing appeared behind her mother, slipping through the small opening.  
"Are… are you changing me as well?" Cat asked almost in shock, moving backwards again. "Is this what you are doing to me?" her voice almost broke.  
"No, no", her mother shook her head, but the way she answered left her daughter suspicious though she believed her that they hadn't injected her the DNA reprogramming virus and probably wouldn't.  
Deep inside Catherine already knew what this was about. Doc had told her. It had been her choice. She had gone to the hospital. It had been clear to them why.  
"Please lay down again, honey, I'll explain everything", her mother slowly lowered her hands stepping toward her likewise and the man behind her did nothing, but pick up the clipboard.  
Cat couldn't help but mistrust her, however she followed her plea and moved back to the bed. Her feet were still freezing and she let out a slight sigh when she slid her feed under the blanked again.  
"Get a new needle", her mother ordered turning towards the young man, who nodded and vanished; her whole posture and tone changed the moment she faced her daughter again, she even sat down on the rim of her bed, reaching out to stroke a strain out of Cat's face even though she flinched slightly..  
"Why am I here, Mom?" she asked. "Why … how are you even alive? We buried you? Dad remarried. I just … don't understand."  
"I promised I'll explain and I will", Vanessa Chandler spoke softly. "But step by step, okay? I don't want to stress you out. You need rest. Promise me that you will stay in bed? Please."  
Cat frowned. Her mother was speaking to her like she was very ill, as if she was deeply worried about her. Had JT been wrong? Was Vincent really contagious? She didn't know how to ask and even if she had found the right words they wouldn't have come out as Doc entered her room. Instantly she tensed and sat up.  
"It's okay", her mother took her hand.  
"Just bringing a new needle", the tell blond man held up his left gloved hand to show her that he wasn't lying. "You need the fluid, Catherine. So please let me set the needle again, okay?"  
All of this appeared to be a bad dream and she had no idea how to handle it.

Almost as if Evan was in trance, like rather dreaming that he followed him than really doing it. How could it be that this Vincent looked so human? There was nothing about him that could have exposed his true nature. Evan was intrigued but also shocked about this fact. He had always believed that a cross species would be obvious, on the other hand human DNA wasn't that different from others and if it was the basis of a hybrid DNA is might be even logical that at least the outward appearance would be human as well.

Vincent didn't want to waste any further time and he couldn't help but be annoyed, no furious at this Evan guy who was walking around like he wasn't the reason that they hadn't been prepared. His obsession, even though Cat tried to talk him out of it and now she was in trouble. Yet she was only in the hands of this man who had build the super soldier project because he, Vincent, hadn't been there. He had run. He had failed to protect her. Again he closed his eyes and tried to breathe in deeply, focus, hold on to that faint combinations of scents. It had already been too long and they had taken the car and he wasn't sure if he was imagining that he could smell her, or not.  
Suddenly he could hear someone walk behind him, trying to close up but not enough to catch him. Vincent turned around to see Evan walk behind him and stopped as their eyes met.  
"I don't have time for this", he shook his head, his links a thin line, seemingly just determined, but his clenched fists were revealing his true feelings.  
"I just want to help", Evan took another step towards him, curiosity written all over his face and Vincent realized that this man had eventually figured it out.  
So many knew now in such a brief amount of time. Yet he couldn't care less.  
"You've already helped enough", he shook his head and turned around again, trying to catch up Cat's scent once more.  
But Evan didn't let go. Vincent could hear him approach him and with every inch his tension grew, his heat and breath sped up and the rage inside him roared louder.  
It is his fault. It is his fault, the beast repeated over and over again in his head.  
"Are you really sme…", Evan didn't get any further, because a Vincent's hand was grabbing his throat and pinning him up against the hospital's wall behind him.  
Moving him up till his arm was almost stretched a pair of amber, eagle-like eyes glared at the forensics doctor, who would have gasped for air if he already wasn't. Both of his hands were clinging ti the one that held his neck in an irony grip. Vincent knew that he was almost choking this man, but he couldn't stop. The beast inside him was snarling, trying to claw his way out.  
"You've already helped enough!" he spoke slower and so much lower now, a deep baritone, more like the voice of a lion.

Cat's mind still tried to comprehend the situation as she watched Doc insert the needle into her hand again. If she hadn't actually felt it, she wouldn't have believed that it was her skin into the thin round metal was placed. She still stared at it when he connected the intravenous drip with her again.  
"I don't understand", she murmured, rather speaking to herself, slowly looking up due to the movement in front of her.  
It was a cold shiver that ran through her body as she saw him place his hands onto her mother's shoulder in such an intimate manner. Once again she really felt sick. Quickly she looked into the other direction.  
"Michael, I think you should leave", Cat heard her mother say, memorizing his name, still not moving her glance back to her, but she could see out of the corner of her eyes and feel that she briefly placed her own hand onto his, and swallowed down her disgust.  
Only as she heard the door close with a lick she finally looked at her mother, thousand questions all over her face. For now she surrendered but after ten years she doubted that Vanessa Chandler knew her daughter enough. Once again she lifted her hand to stroke across Cat's hair and this time she didn't flinch, just stared back at her.  
"I've missed you so much", her mom started and a tiny frown appeared on Catherine's forehead, merely creating an almost invisible wrinkle between her brows, how could she believe that. "I kept track whenever possible", the woman in front of her continued and let out a sigh. "To stage my own death was the only way to keep all of you safe. It was a deal with the devil I had to make. I couldn't draw you into this life."  
"And those men who went after me?" Cat shook her head. "The ones Vincent killed to protect me?"  
"They weren't supposed to go after you. Muirfield had promised me, but I didn't believe them. That was why I left Vincent a trail. He had been with me, protecting me since Afghanistan. Michael brought us both back home, but there was no way hiding us both. To tell them that Vincent had died was easy, but they wouldn't let me go. They couldn't just declare me for dead when I never had been out of the States in the first place. I agreed to stay with Muirfield in exchange for your safety."  
"Vincent was with you?" Cat's voice almost broke, barely whispering.  
"I asked him to look out for you", Vanessa took her daughter's hand into her own. "I'm so sorry I couldn't be there for you. I really am."  
Catherine swallowed laboriously.  
"But you're not with Muirfield anymore. Why didn't you …let us know that you're still alive?" she asked already knowing the answer; tears burning in her eyes again. "When we left they put you under a 24-7 surveillance. There was no way", her mom stroke her hair again. "The only consolation I had was that Vincent was with you and that was the reason why Michael let him go, why we did everything to keep him covered, so that they wouldn't find him."

Evan felt like a fish in a bird of prey's claws. If he had still doubted that Vincent was the one he had been looking for: here was his evidence. However he would also have been intrigued by his ability to hold a grown man up with just one arm, if it hadn't be him. Breathing proved itself as difficult, even more bringing out a word. Vincent did notice Tess coming closer as she apparently had noticed that Evan had been following he was barely restraining his rage, that was fueled by his guilt and worry for Catherine. Her partner didn't dare to approach him, seeing him like that for the first time was well. A heavy tremble washed through his body as he realized through the corner of his eye that he had her hand on her gun. "Are you satisfied?" he growled at Evan and let him drop, pulling his hand away from his through which instantly was replaced by his, instinctively protecting his aching body part. Vincent briefly looked at Tess whose facial features were derailed in shock and fascination, before he turned away, back to into the direction where Catherine had been brought. Now as he barely suppressed the beast inside of him it was almost as if he could pick up her scent easier, but he couldn't run through New York City like that. Yet there was no time. He buried his face in his hands. The thought alone of Catherine being exposed to the man that had brought his project into being drove him insane. Vincent forced himself to calm down and focus. For a few moments he stood completely still, staring into a non existent distance. He had come from this direction, below that street. It was just a hunch, but he remembered how he had smelled this scent as he was retuning home. It had been directly beneath the hospital. The position where he had felt this slight dizziness, this headache was a few miles further down that road. Could it have been her? Could the beast inside him have caught up her scent and tried to tell him? As he turned back to face Tess Vincent's appearance was back to normal and Evan, who was still leaning against the wall panting heavily just stared at him in awe and fear, similar to Cat's partner who seemed less afraid than him. "When I headed back I caught up a faint scent, but I didn't give it much attention because I thought my mind was tricking me", he explained to Tess. "I don't know how long it will take to trace down the cells or the car, but I might have an idea where they are." "I guess you need a lift then?" Tess tilted her head lightly, ignoring the turmoil in her chest and stomach that there was a monster standing in front of her, a really handsome one but still a beast. Vincent answer was a weak smile

Catherine looked at her mother for some minutes without saying a thing. She was sure that if Vincent had known that her death had been staged he would have told her. All what she had told her seemed legit and logical, and there was no reason to doubt her explanation. For all Cat knew Muirfield was a dangerous organization. But then again what venture was her mother part of?  
"Mom, why am I in this bed with an infusion, wearing nothing but this gown? What did you do to me?" she eventually asked. "Why was my water spiked? You need to tell me. Why come back now?"  
Vanessa Chandler sighed heavily and turned her eyes away, actually standing up from the bed, letting go of her daughter. Cat asked herself is she silently was punishing her for asking, even though she had promised to explain everything step by step. On the other hand some answered already hung unspoken in the air just waiting to be confirmed.  
"I don't know why the water was spiked, but Michael will handle this", her mother answered frowningly, still avoiding her eyes. "I fear it was a prank. A risky one and we already know who to punish for that if that's the case."  
"So you think it might have been Do… Michael's idea?" Cat dug deeper, making her mother finally respond her glance: "He promised me that he'd never hurt you."  
"He did", Cat gave back. "When they first abducted me."  
Vanessa gave her daughter a stern look: "You were treated roughly, yes, but it was for your own safety at that time there still was a way out for you."  
It was unbearable to listen to the unspoken truth and Catherine clawed her fingernails into the sheets, trying to fight the emotions that tore at her insides, demanding to be released. She couldn't give in, she wouldn't.  
"So you came for Vincent?" it was not really a question, even though her voice was shaky; and still she avoided to ask for her true assumption to be confirmed.  
"Yes", Vanessa looked her daughter straight in the eye.  
"For what?" Cat became more determined, meeting her mother's glance.  
"It's complicated", she was definitely trying to avoid a direct answer now.  
"Seriously, Mom, just say it!" of course she lost it now, because her mother's reluctance told her everything and hurt so deeply beyond imagination. "Breeding. Right? I am here because I had sex with Vincent. So what? Do you try to breed your third generation and due to them being cross-breeds it doesn't work?" her voice became more and more husky. She remembered genetics well from high school and she wasn't stupid. "Do you actually hope that I got pregnant? Or what did you do?"

Evan supported himself by placing his hands on his knees now, still fighting more against the shock than the lack of air. He realized that both Tess and Vincent were leaving him as they already were a yard away. Looking behind them he knew that he had to make a decision. With a push of his muscles he straightened up and reached into the pocket of his jacket for his cell, before he started following them looking at its display.

Tess and Vincent had already reached their car when they both had to turn around to get in. Evan was following them and Vincent didn't clench his jaw because he saw the cell in his hand, he didn't even notice it. All he saw was the man that had interest in Catherine and still had risked her. It didn't matter if he never had been aware of that. Tess on the other hand glared at her colleague mostly because of the reason that Evan had his cell in his hands and she let go of the door: "Are you going to give us away now?"  
Both men looked at her in surprise. One taken aback, one with regrowing anger.  
"We can trace back an active call much easier, right? We don't have to go through all the paperwork with the company", Evan tried to ignore the look that Vincent gave him, even though it gave him the chills.  
Now it were him an Tess who were astonished, but all three of them were distracted when the evidence unit arrived.  
"Go", Evan gestured. "I'll them them what to do an get back to the station. As soon as I got the position, I'll call you. Now go"  
Vincent was already in the car as Tess opened the door.  
"Do you trust him? he asked her as she got in as well, both fastening their seat belts, and she gave him an undefined glance. "I've known you for a day and I've known him for years. What do you think?"  
Vincent's corners of his mouth lifted slightly, without his eyes joining the expression.  
"But I know what you mean", she started the car, and pulled out. "It's vice-versa. He knows I'll rip his head off. We won't need you for that."  
Tess' words made him blink. Just moments after seeing him in almost full beast-state she was already making sarcastic jokes. Cat had obviously kept her out off all this to keep her safe, not because she didn't trust her. For Vincent it felt much easier to do so as well.

The worst thing about her mother's reaction was that she didn't even look into her eyes. Cat was smashed, she couldn't believe it. This wasn't the woman she had so many wonderful memories of. This wasn't her mother. Witnessing this behavior she had absolutely no idea what to think or even feel. It was like she was lost in the middle of the ocean with nothing to cling to, struggling to keep her head over the surface, and now the moment had arrived that she knew there was no strength left in her limbs. And there would be no one coming to save her.  
Cat had no idea how many minutes had passed until this woman that sounded and looked like her mother, even claimed to be her, inhaled and opened her mouth to speak again; but Cat shook her head almost wildly: "No. Get out. Get out!" she almost screamed to the end. "Get the hell out!"  
Her mother flinched and needed a second to realize the situation. As her daughter looked away from her, pulling up her legs to wrap her arms around them, fixating her eyes to the other side of the room, she hesitated. Just for a moment Vanessa reconsidered, to eventually leave.  
The very moment the door shut with a slight click Catherine started sobbing, her fingers clenching heavily into the fabric that was wrapped around her, shivering in anger about herself that she had to cry. Still she couldn't stop. She felt so utterly helpless and terribly lost, just like in the very moment she had been all alone in that forest, in the wilderness. Dead men lying in front of her and her mother shot. Her mother was dead all over again. She shook her head. No. This time it was way worse. This time she had lost her in such a different distorted way she knew she would never forget, and if she would get home she would never, ever tell Heather about it. Her sister could never know. And not her father. No one.  
Cat suppressed the sounds that dropped of her mouth, trying to keep it all in, only the vitriolic tears grazing down her cheeks. She couldn't let the inner pressure escape her lungs. It was the only energy she got left, without it she feared to give in, to be entirely and completely dead. But as her thoughts wandered of they found the only hope she had left and she needed to hold her breath. Vincent was certainly far gone. Driven by guilt for what he had done. She was sure of it. It was so typical for him and she wasn't mad at him. Even though her lungs started aching, she didn't gave in to her natural instinct until she couldn't fight it anymore.


	9. Howl

† Chapter 9 † Howl † NC-17 [violence]

There was no sign of anyone even living in that building and no surveillance camera to be seen. Yet Tess and Vincent knew that this was a fallacy. They had already been in the area as Tom had called to tell them the position of this building and just a minute ago Evan confirmed the position after tracing down the cell phones of Cat and Doc. After a moment of consideration they had agreed to give Vincent a chance to get Catherine out of there, even though Tess would have loved to get everyone in there busted. But there had been too many facts they would have had to lie about and the strongest argument was Vincent telling that there might be other beasts, and maybe even soldiers of the government. They couldn't rule out that they still were involved in Doc's venture.  
"I'll go with you", Tess nodded in determination, but Vincent shook his head: "You need to stay here so that you can call it in."  
"In which case?" she frowned.  
"There are only two cases where you don't have to", was his reply and he looked at her sternly. "If Catherine and me get out or if only she gets out."  
"What about you?" Tess grabbed his lower arm as he intended to open the door. "I'm already dead. There's no need to help me. It's Catherine that matters."  
Hearing this Tess was stunned for a moment and Vincent took the chance to get out of the car. Not looking back he still felt her eyes on his back. In the end it would always come down to this. He would always sacrifice himself for her. If he wouldn't make it , he would at least make sure he would fall for her. Vincent didn't do this because of the promise he had made so many years ago. This wasn't fulfilling his duty to the woman who had saved him. It was so much more. Although he had never admitted it to anyone it was the unspoken truth that filled his heart and that gave him strength to face what would expect him. Vincent knew that there was at least one waiting in this building that was like him. And as he approached the building the stench was undeniable. For the first time since ten years he was looking for the beast inside him, trying to evoke it. He knew when he entered this building there was no way back. When he would open that door in this hall he had passed the point of no return. And for the first time he would need the beast slumbering inside him. Just to realize that it didn't seem to be that easy. Vincent fixated his look at the single enlightened door within the garage of that building and tried to provoke the beast inside of him, brining up all the thoughts and worries he had held back the whole time. He pictured Catherine in his mind, being helpless and scared, being at Doc's mercy. In the end it was much easier to fugue out.

Minutes passed. Cat hadn't mind to count them, until she was worn out from crying. And in this very moment, as she felt that there was no strength left in her; there was one single emotion left: defiance. If she was really held captive because she might be pregnant, she would damn sure won't allow this kid to be grown up as a lab rat. She would make sure that she wouldn't end up like that as well.  
Cat knew that she had to be reasonable, that she had to be strong and focused, if she wanted to escape from this place. She knew that the only weapon she would have was the needle in her hand and the determination in her heart. Being a judicious person she would have to wait until her body felt superior. And so she decided to rest and to ignore anything else.  
She watched the infusion drip closely. It went fast. Whatever was in this liquid it made her feel better and stronger. In that moment she realized that Vincent had never told her details about what had been given to him and in which way. She had always assumed that it had been by injection. Right now she asked herself if it might have been through infusion. That she would never expected her mother to so something like that to her ever wasn't a law giving her a reason to rule it out anymore.

The door was shut electronically, but in the end it was only a matter of time until Vincent would overcome it. He knew it. It was fundamental. As the door knob didn't move, he simply pressed his body against it, evoking his strength. The aching sound of the metal sounded like cheers to his ears.  
As it gave in he knew that it was too quick, that it had been opened, but to the beast that information meant nothing. It stepped into the room and didn't care a bit about the fact that the door closed behind him automatically. Vincent knew that it was important to think this through, but his other half had taken over. And for the beast inside him the most important thing was to find her. It was so terribly easy to give in to that.  
The beast that was him leaned his head back slightly to pull in the air and catch up on her scent. He didn't care much about anything else and therefore turned around and into her direction quickly. He didn't care much about himself anyways. But there was a specific scent hitting his nose the very moment as he decided to follow hers. Whatever he smelled, it was much more dominant, as if it had been drowned into a pool of pheromones. He couldn't pull himself away from it. And most important: it smelled like her.

Somehow Cat felt restless and the silence seemed unnerving. She couldn't really believe that this room was sound proof and as she heard someone running down a corridor, it instantly made her get up. The ache in her legs and hips had already lessened, yet she sued the infusion rod to walk straight towards the panel behind which the door was hidden. However she looked pack at the other side of the wall, still being sure that there was something behind it as well.  
A slight push. The panel gave in a little, but there was no snapping sound signaling that it went out of it's lock. Something told her that they wouldn't leave it open anyway, but there had to be a possibility to open it.  
"Don't try", she could hear a familiar voice from the other side of the hidden door. "Even if you manage to open it, I'm here", Connor continued. "And it was no prank."  
Catherine frowned. They had put him down to guard her. Of course they would try to make sure that she wouldn't leave but why him? Why not a normal soldier or the assistant that she had seen earlier? Maybe they didn't have such a large staff at all and the size of all of this was just a fake? But then again the remembered what Connor had added. It had been no prank. Cat leaned against the door, pressing her ear against it.  
"Doc gave you the drugged water?" she asked and closed her eyes so that she would hear his voice better, which was lower again, more huskier.  
Had he already changed? Was he fighting it?  
"Yes, and it is also in your infusion along the healthy stuff."  
She swallowed dryly and looked at the needle in her hand. This meant that a cloud of pheromones was actually wafting around her, strong enough to affect him through that door.  
"So you won't let me go?" it was rather a rhetorical question, since she already knew the answer, but she hadn't expected his response: "I'd probably rape you if you try to get out and me a reason to open this door."  
An eerie shiver ran drown her spine sending goose bumps all over her skin. She jumped back as she felt the door slightly moving. Her heart started racing in an instant, but obviously he was just leaning against the door now that gave in to his weight. Still she didn't dare to touch the material in front of her.  
"So stay in there", his voice was rough now. "For both our sakes."  
There was another person running down the corridor and then Cat could hear how the door made a sound of relief as he stood straight again.

It was a strange feeling, to finally give in, to evoke the beast inside him even. In return it seemed to allow him continue thinking, though he wasn't under control. Every time his body moved it did so even before he thought of it. Would the situation be different, would he have a chance he possibly would have freaked out. Now all he did was repeating to be careful. Catherine needed him and therefore he had to be alive and not captured. As he slowly moved towards the open door in the dark entrance hall Vincent knew that there was something wrong and now it was him scratching, trying to get attention. Much to his surprise the beast wasn't as disregarding as him and stopped moving, giving in to his senses. And Vincent had been right. There was no time to muse about why he hadn't noticed him since it was obvious that Catherine's scent was distracting him and the young man who had waited at the other side of the room, next to a huge fracture in the wall - which perfectly fit to his size - moved towards him slowly.  
He was wearing black military clothing, but that wasn't the important thing. The way he moved, the muscles flexed, slightly crouching was barely human. The odor streaming off of him wasn't entirely human. And as the Beast's eyes focused on his opponent they weren't surprised to see a mirroring image of his own. Just younger, and - much to his confusion - less changed. His opponent breathed out in a low snarl, showing his fangs.  
"I've been waiting for this", he said with a wide grin, sounding like it took him some effort to speak. "Getting to kill you."  
The Beast tilted his head slightly, his eyes narrowing.  
"You don't understand me, do you? You're far less human", his opponent continued being unaware that Vincent was listening closely, trying to make the beast concentrate on this guy, most importantly his smell, so that he wouldn't be intoxicated by Catherine's. He had to take a lesson from that.  
"You know that this is what it's all about, right?" he proceeded talking himself into some rush, pumping himself up maybe Vincent should interfere before he got to a point that would be dangerous, but he wanted to listen, so as the Beast made a step forward, he held him back. And luckily the smaller one didn't notice.  
"Getting the girl and killing you", he laughed. "I wish I could tell you everything, but since you're to dumb to understand me right now, let's get to business."  
Vincent's mind went blank before he even heard the second sentence, even before he heard that they wanted to kill him. The Beast leaped forward as if someone had literally cut him loose and smashed the guy against the wall, digging his claws into his clothes, gritting his teeth. Yet the reaction was confusing. A laughter: "Really? Again?"

Catherine got closer to the door again as Connor obviously had stepped away from it.  
"Why are you talking to her?" a deep smooth and undistorted voice talked to him and she instantly recognized Doc - or Michael, how her mother had called him.  
"It keeps me in control, Sir", Connor answered directly and openly.  
Doc didn't respond, or at least not in words. There was no movement either.  
"I put you here for a reason, don't disappoint me", he eventually said and made his partner's daughter frown behind the door.  
"Have I ever, Sir?" Cat wasn't sure if she should be worried about this question or not, the decision was made for her as Doc answered to that, probably even patting the young man's shoulder while speaking. "No, unlike the others you've always met up my expectations and this will be rewarded. I'll give it another chance with you when Doctor Chandler's choice won't work. We'll have to wait for the results."  
Cat couldn't believe what she hear, even less her own thoughts that crowded her mind in result. This had been her mother's choice? And he would give him another chance with what? She had a hunch about that which she most definitely didn't want to follow. This was despicable. Retreating from the door the conversation turned into a mumble which she didn't fully was able to understand. Which is why she didn't get to know that Vincent had come to get her.

Pulling the infusion rod with her she moved to the panel at the other side of the room, finding it quickly. Again she started to feel across the rim, stopping for a moment as her eyes fell on the needle in her hand, remembering what Connor had said about it. The pheromones - among other healthy things. In fact the infusion had made her feel better, but then who knew what else was in this transparent fluid ? As she pulled out the needle she was more careful this time, using the band-aid that had held it in place to cover the injury. After reconsidering Cat stopped the drip. Maybe the infusion could be of use, however she didn't want to slip on it. Slowly and carefully she continued to feel the rim and continued at the left side when the right one was finished. She frowned as she noticed that the panel seemed to bounce a little stronger here. Could it be so easy?  
"Are you still here?" Connor's voice sounded into the room just as she had wanted to push against the panel it simply was a magnetic closet door.  
"Yes", she simply answered in a firm tone.  
He probably would hear her move to the bed anyway. Yet there was something in the air that made her wonder why he even had asked this question. Somehow Connor hadn't sounded like he really had been interested in an answer. Then Cat remembered what he had told Doc: It keeps me in control, Sir.

Vincent's pair of golden eyes glaring into amber one's, halfway covered with blond hair. If this rhetorical question had been an insult, the Beast didn't react to it, though for a second it kept Vincent inside of it thinking and this was quite enough for his opponent to act. It was a quick move, just a twitch of the muscles into his arms that made his the amber-eyed slam his claws into his exposed sides. They tore through the fabric of his clothes, ruptured skin and poured blood as they grazed across every single rip. The Beast growled in pain but didn't retreat, much to his combatant surprise. So the blond tightened his grip, digging deeper, making Vincent grit his bare teeth and shiver due to the pain. He couldn't move his arms, not without inflicting himself more of it. The Beast knew that, so he did the same, piercing his claws into the soldier's shoulders knowing that his fingers were stronger, cutting like knives separating the tissue and unlike with his chest, he was injuring muscle fiber. His opponent didn't give in either, but that had never been his original intention. What followed appeared to be slow motion, but it were merely seconds.  
Ripping out his claws the Beast stroke down his arms, ignoring the pain he created to himself as he tore down his enemy's along with them. Fingernails tearing out of his flesh. He could feel the blood dripping, the piercing pain of the cuts as he moved, bringing his left up again to the other's throat. But the amber-eyed had moved to the side and Vincent hit the wall, lifting his right hand to ward off a blow to his chin, grabbing the guy's wrist, drawing a circle, making him writhe. As his hand aimed for the throat again, his opponent turned into his grip, smashing his back against his chest, pushing out the air of Vincent's lungs, forcing him to let go of his hand. He stumbled backwards and the blond turned around. Just as he wanted to follow the Beast had caught himself again and attacked. He wasn't used to an enemy who was as fast and as trained as him, someone who could parry his blows in an equal way. But Vincent remembered the injuries and ignoring his own he forced the soldier to met his attacks from above and moved forward, attacking his chest and throat from below. The blond retreated further as he pushed against him, using every opportunity to scratch him with his claws, evoking the rage of knowing that Catherine was here and that his combatant wanted him to keep him away from her. It was a mistake, because thinking of her numbed every other scent like blood, fuel, germicide but hers and turned his well composed anger into rage. The amber eyes flew open due to what they saw but the Beast was blind.

So Catherine was sure that Connor needed to talk, to keep himself composed and she was willing to give him that if it meant that he would be distracted from what she tried. Still she had absolutely no idea what to talk about.  
"Why does Doc trust you enough to put you in front of my door?" she finally came up with something and gently pushed against the panel while she did so.  
"You heard him", Connor answered simply. "Because I never failed him."  
The panel opened soundless and Cat silently prayed that her heat wouldn't beat to fast. Fate helped her out as she looked into a closet. Furthermore an empty one.  
"Are you afraid this will me my first time to fail him?" she heard him ask with a less rough voice than before. "Or are you hoping for it?"  
Was he trying to flirt with her? Cat turned around and frowned.  
"You are at the other side of the room", Connor continued, and something told her that he was grinning.  
Then she heard the door aching again, telling her that he leaned against it again.  
"I'm not sure yet", she answered to his first question. "That's why I stay away…"  
"So that I don't smell you? Thank you, but that wouldn't help when that door gets opened", was his response. "All the air-filled up with this scent would wash all over me. And believe me Doc knows this and he knows that…"  
Cat tilted her head, curling her eyebrows as he cut himself off.  
"What's wrong?" she demanded to know, her heart speeding up again, but Connor kept silent, making her thoughts race.  
Turning her panic into something useful she started to push against the next panel to reveal another empty closet. Then just a wall again. Reaching the left corner she hasted back to the fist closet, pushing against the panels until she reached the right corner opposite to that wall where the door was.  
"There is only one way, Catherine", Connor said with a deeper voice again. "And that is through me.  
"Not even a bathroom?" she was surprised that she managed to come up with this as she turned around to him and pulled off the infusion needle as silently as possible.  
"To your left", was his answer, monotonously.  
"And my right?" she dug deeper.  
"Wall", his tone was more rough now; he seemed to shift into a more beastly state and Cat wasn't sure if that was a good thing.  
"What's wrong Connor?" she slowly moved towards the door. "Tell me."

The blond didn't expect such an outbreak, didn't even know that there was much more strength lingering inside of Vincent's Beast. In his rush of rage pain seemed to be forgotten and it was almost impossible to hold of his strikes, without risking that with a parry he managed to injure him. But what gave Vincent strength also blinded him. It was a clawed blow across his back, that instantly made him arch in pain. Even though the fabric of his clothes held of the full power of that slash, it was enough to cut through his flesh and draw blood. He hadn't expected the other one, hadn't even smelled him because Catherine's scent had covered all others. The pain pulled his mind out of the darkness. Vincent realized that this might be the reason this building seemed to be drowned in that odor. But there was no time to think. The blond pushed him back against the second combatant and from the height and size he was definitely as tall as Vincent, even broader. The more important thing was that they weren't fighting as team, yet, as the taller one stumbled backwards instead of using the opportunity. As the blond one attacked him, Vincent was able to fend him off. Stroke for stroke, claw per claw, but he sensed the taller one approaching behind him. He had to be faster. There was no way of maneuvering the blond one between them, as he was to cautious in his attack. All Vincent could do was evade and dodge as the taller one tried to slash him once again and that was impossible without getting hit by the other one. He wouldn't be able to do that for a long time. While the big one had definitely heavier blows the smaller one was faster and it would only be a matter of time until they would figure out to rip him into pieces.  
Vincent had no time to think this through. He didn't make any mistake, it was just bad luck as he arched to evade another blows from the blond, that the tall one gave up trying to hit him but to grab him. He moved his hands beneath Vincent's to bring his hands to his neck, making it impossible for him to move his arms. A simple wrestling move, which he hadn't expected. The blond used the opportunity to slash across his chest and stomach, making him growl. Luckily Vincent had injures his hands and lower arms enough that he hadn't enough strength to cut through too deep. Still he could feel a warm and viscous fluid run down his skin, and he knew that it was his own blood. He roared in anger and pain. The Beast's physical abilities wouldn't be enough to help him winning against these other two. He could see the blond one grin at him in triumph.

The building had become utterly silent. Like the sky before right after the lightning just before the thunder. Catherine instinctively held her breath. She had reached the door and tried to hark. First she didn't hear anything but she was sure that whatever there was Connor was able to make it out. So she kept quiet and tried to calm down her heart beat that seemed loud enough to out voice everything else. And then she heard it: a growl. Not being sure if she simply had imagined it she unknowingly leaned her forehead against the door net to her left hand which supported her. The next thing that sounded into her hears was a roar and it made her hairs rise. Not because of its brutality, but because she recognized it. Cat felt like her stomach was falling to her feet, like her heart was bumping air and her lungs blood instead.  
"Vincent", she gasped almost inaudibly, less than a whisper.  
Her other hand joined the door as she stared down onto the ground. It hadn't been just anger. She could feel it. It was also pain. Cat wasn't sure if she should try to hear more. Her breath turned shallow. He was fighting. The thought of him being hurt made her eyes burn as tears gathered in them.  
"Yes"; Connor's voice was so close that it made her jump, even though there was still the door between them. "It's him."  
Whatever he wanted to achieve with this confirmation, it had an effect. Cat didn't care what he had planned for, it was hard for her anyhow to think straight now. She had to help him. Vincent was here because of her. Still she knew that she couldn't simply demand that Connor did let her go, apart from that she remembered what he had told her.  
"Where are my clothes?" she simply asked softly, creating a pause of confusion, as her guard didn't answer instantly.  
"I don't know", he responded after some moments.  
Cat started freezing. Why wouldn't they put her clothes in her room when they weren't planning for her to go anywhere.  
"You know I can't let you out?" there was concern in his rough voice and he breathed heavily, she could hear that through the door, and somehow she was thankful for him talking, because she wasn't able to hark for more of Vincent.  
She started shivering.  
"I'm freezing", was her reply.  
"Then get back to bed", he almost threw at her even before she had completely finished her words.  
"Please", she said softly, not really knowing for what she was asking, maybe for everything in her head right now: for her to be let go, for Vincent, for someone helping them, for them both to have a normal life, for everything that had happened to be a bad dream. "Please", she repeated as she slid down to the ground along the door.

Vincent just glared at the blond one in response to his grin, estimating the distance between them, trying to blend out the pain in his back⠀from the slashes and the place the big one had forced him into. He could feel the claws of him in his neck. Luckily he wasn't aiming for the vertebrae yet.  
Suddenly he realized that he was able to think more straight, more fluently, like the Beast inside of him composed itself that they could act more efficiently. Gritting his teeth he watched the smaller, blond one move towards him. Vincent flexed his legs and pushed himself off the ground, against the one that was holding him in a firm grip, knowing that he increased the pressure on his own grip, but he was counting on the surprise. It worked. With one kick of both his feet against the smaller one's chest, blowing him backwards and making the big one stumble. But he didn't lose balance, just retreated a few feet pulling Vincent with him who had no chance of stomping on his feet and his arms still were useless.  
On the other hand he had bought time and the blond one smacked against the ground and gasped for air, instinctively bringing his hands up to his chest. With luck Vincent would have broken a few rips. Noticing that the big one hadn't steadied his stance, he let himself drop taking the risk that he would increase the ache in his arms. Effectively he slid a bit though his grip and used the opportunity as the big one stepped forward, trying to hold him, to pull his feet back beneath him and push through his knees. In a forceful turn he broke himself free, slamming the lower part of his left palm against the big one's solar plexus and pushing him away. There was no time for watching him stumble.  
Vincent dove around, dodging a blow that was aimed against his neck, wrapping his arm around the smaller one as he tried to attack him from behind. Another step and he buried his shoulder into the guy's chest. Quickly Vincent brought his hand to his throat, by sliding it up behind the man's shoulder and up again to the neck, while he still moved against him. Fingers clawed into the flesh, drawing blood and his arm pulled abruptly. It was a loud smacking snap, as he broke the blond's neck. The man was dead before he could realize what had happened. There was no time for remorse, because the big guy came right at him, tackling him even before he managed to face him fully.

Cat despised it that he kept silent, leaving her to drown in this noiselessness.⠀She understood perfectly well then what Connor had meant as he had answered to Doc about talking to her. Why was he risking the opposite now? Did he want her to hear the fight down below, to have room to imagine what was happening?  
"Just hold your breath and left me run, you can say that you were too stunned", Cat suggested, still sitting on the floor, half backed only clothed whit the hospital gown. She was sure they had left her only this piece of rag to make her attempt to flee more uncomfortable. They didn't know her well.  
"You know I can't do that", Connor answered and by the sound she could tell that he still leaned against the wall but hat turned his face half way towards her, knowing where she sat right now.  
"I can offer you better chances when all of this gets to court", she continued, trying to focus, to be reasonable. "I know you are a good person. You could've treated me way worse."  
"You have no idea who I am", Connor grunted back at her. "Do you know where Doc got us from? We are all convicts. Released due to good behavior but to people like you there's no difference. To police there is no difference. Once a bad guy always a bad guy."  
Slowly Cat struggled to get back onto her icy feet, exhaling heavily.  
"You're right. I was once like that", she acknowledged. "But I see differently now. Not every criminal is a bad guy. And as I said, you could have treated me differently."  
Again he tortured her with silent, with her catching herself trying to hear another sound from downstairs and simultaneously praying to hear nothing. It reminded her of Vincent being downstairs and most certainly being in danger. She was so terribly scared for him that she forgot how she froze.  
"Get back into the bed", Connor's voice brought her back. "Stay there. Don't try to open the door. I'll bring you something to dress. Don't make me regret it."  
Cat blinked before she could fully comprehend what he just had said.  
"Do you copy?" he inquired and she nodded, realizing that he wouldn't see it she quickly added:"Yes, thank you", and moved to the bed, sliding beneath the blanked, not knowing if he really was moving away from the door or not.  
However the cloth had a little warmth left, making her realized how strongly she had cooled.

Vincent got swiped off his feet because he stumbled over the remains of the dead blond at the ground, but still it was enough for his opponent to smash him against the wall. Shoulders first, head second and it smacked. He felt how blood ran down his temple and how his sight suddenly was blurry. By squeezing his eyes shut he tried to gain a clear view, but it was just a reflex that kept him from holding of the next blow against his spleen. The air was pushed fully out of his lungs now.  
This one was definitely stronger, and slower, yet that wasn't of any help now, because he held him pinned against the wall. The next strike didn't go against his torso again as he expected, but higher, grabbing his throat and tightening his grip, while hit other hand clawed around his right wrist, trying to twist his arm as Vincent instinctively grabbed the hand that choked him. He couldn't see the big guy, because his head was still spinning and his lungs were aching for air. Making the matters worse his grazed rips started hurting even more as his torso tried to pull in air that wouldn't come.  
The grip tightened. Vincent could feel his throat burn. It would not take long and it would be crushed. He knew it. There was not much he could do because the lack of oxygen weakened him already. So he measured, tried to think even though ig became harder and harder. Letting go of the hand that was slowly suffocating him, he evoked the rest of strength he had, stopping to wrestle his caught hand free ans slashed across the big one's face, aiming for his eye.  
The yowling growl stung right into his bones and within a glimpse Vincent was free as his opponent tumbled backwards pressing both his hands to his right socket. However there wasn't enough strength in him to attack him as he inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the most wonderful thing he could think of - apart from Catherine. His burning sides seemed to turn into the blaze that fueled him, as he pressed his back against the wall, supporting himself with the hands on his knees, staring at the back tall guy who slowly was recovering. Both now had blood dripping from the sides of their head, but Vincent still could use both eyes now, even though everything still seemed foggy.  
And then something unexpected happened. Something that shook his body even worse than the howl of pain before, something that electrified every cell of his, making him jump up straight.  
"Vincent!" Catherine was shrieking piercingly, full of worry.  
His throat was still sore and hurting from earlier and there was no way how to answer her anyhow, so his eyes fixated on the beast that stood before him and the growl that escaped his mouth was yet husky but deep from inside of him and as dark as she fire burning in his eyes.

Cat wrapped the blanket tighter around her, pulling her legs up to her chest again. This position was reminding her of the reason why she was here in the first place and the hole in her stomach was back. She hadn't taken the med she had bought in the hospital. Probably they were still in her purse. Her thoughts were rushing as she waited for Connor to return, going everything through that had been said to her as well as him and she figured that for whatever reason breeding didn't seem to be possible. Since that was why she had been taken. This was what it was all about, what had been her choice without her even knowing. So there was the possibility that she couldn't be what Doc and her mother wanted it to be.  
Now there was a lump in her throat. Cat had never thought about it. Vincent and her hadn't even been together like that, so they naturally never had talked about such a topic. It was a surprise to herself that the idea of them not having a chance in that direction made her more sad than the chance of being pregnant. It was strange, because just like JT had said: the DNA would be not entirely human, just like Vincent's, just like the father's.  
Catherine unknowingly pressed her hand against her chest, right above her heart, which was beating rapidly. She swallowed dryly staring against the white wall but not seeing it really, not hearing anything until a bloodcurdling jowl. Cat was on her feet, at the door, without even noticing and shrieked Vincent's name, panicking. She couldn't lose him. Not now. Not ever.  
The unspoken promise to Connor was echoing in her head as she pressed against the door and ran back to her bed to get the needle she had dropped. Not being able to find it she started to pull and tear at the fabric, shaking the sheets until a fain, high sound of thin metal clanked on the ground. Dropping on her knees she scanned the floor for the needle hectically.  
Cat needed to get out of the room, even if it meant wearing nothing than his hospital gown being basically naked. There was no time for bashfulness. If he was injured, he would need her and she would kill her way through to him with this little piece of metal if she had to. She knew that the door was opening into the corridor, so she leaped to the end of the room and ran, throwing her tiny body against it, hoping that her weight was enough. Her shoulder hurt, she pierced herself with the needle, but she didn't care. Yet the door didn't give in. Not yet.  
"Vincent!" she yelled once more, but she couldn't hear another scaring sound, mainly because her heartbeat and breath were filling her ears.

Vincent pushed himself away from the wall with a cracking sound, leaving a little crater behind as he squalled and stormed against the big one who was still recovering. It was him now who couldn't hold off the attack and the Beast dug his claws into his upper chest and shoulders, pushing and dragging him along until the door frame got in the way. His opponent managed to slam down his elbows to the base of his neck, making his knees to give in a little. But he wouldn't let go, instead he ripped down his claws, tearing the skin and flesh, splattering blood across his own face.  
Vincent's eyes were glowing like to voracious suns as he showed his fangs, baring teeth, almost like a distorted grin. Pulling in the air that would have been necessary to whine out loud was to painful, and cost too much energy which he needed. Yet as the big one opened his eyes to stare at the Beast there was a glimpse of fear in them. Followed by anger. The big one grabbed Vincent's head with both of his hands, trying to rupture his skin with his claws, luckily not getting the idea to go for his eyes, because Vincent was fast enough to pull up one knee, between his opponents legs. There was still not enough air in the big eyes lungs, and now no strength in his legs as well.  
The Beast stepped back, tearing out his blood spilled and dripping claws, little shreds of skin clinging on to them. It tilted his head slightly looking down at his enemy who was sliding to the ground, convulsed with pain.  
"Vincent!" he heard her again and the battered human to his feet was forgotten.  
Leaping across of him as if he was nothing more like the corpse on the other side of the room, the Best passed the door inhaling deeply, following her mind clouding scent. Up the stairs.  
There was a door, but he didn't care, speeding up his pace and smashed himself against it. It wasn't an obstacle to him and flew into the white corridor in from of him. The light was blinding and instinctively he lifted up his arms to shield his eyes. The brightness exposed every injury of his. Piercings in his face, the cuts on his ribcage but most of all his blood stained hands, that spoiled the withe floor with speckles right where he stood.  
A muffled shriek to his right that he almost gave no attention because the woman in white retreated stumbling as soon as she saw him. Catherine's scent was in the other direction anyway. He moved further, drawing a trail of thin red lines and points behind him. His breathing was heavier now just like his steps, but the adrenaline was still rushing, still pushing him onwards. There was no rest for the wicked, that grin still on his face.  
"Vincent!" that voice wasn't hers, but behind him and somehow familiar, so he turned around looking at Vanessa Chandler.

Just when Catherine wanted to try to storm the door for a second time she could hear a loud bang and froze. She knew in an instant that it was him. It was Vincent. And there was no doubt about it that he had shifted. He had to. There was a torturing silent and for a brief second she believed to have heard a shriek. Nothing should be allowed to get his attention now, for his sake. Just when she had filled her lungs with air you shout out his name there was someone else doing it and she was thunderstruck for a moment. It was her mother. Thoughts evaded her mind, flooding it, making it impossible to focus. Why would she do this? This woman was no one she knew. Cat's mother would have helped and not stopped him, not distracted him. It was a shock to remind herself that Connor was supposed to stand in front of her door. Had he returned yet? Was the woman who claimed to be her mother buying him time? Violently Cat smacked her hand against the door.  
"Vincent!" it was a rough yell with her dry voice, but she knew she could have had whispered and he still would have heard her.  
And then again the fact filled her mind that had freaked her out earlier. The infusion, her altered scent. Him being in that state. She had no idea if he could stand it. Even being fully himself.  
"Don't listen to her!" she shouted. "Look out! There's another!"

Then there was her voice again and he turned around. He didn't care that this woman should be dead. The Beast recognized her and nothing more. More words sounding to his ears as he walked further to the origin of noise and scent, slowly sinking into his mind. They made him stop. The corridor in front of him was empty so he turned around and next to the woman he seemed to know stood what she, Catherine, had warned him. The black-haired guy dropped whatever he was carrying and quickly altered his appearance. A low growl jumped from Vincent's throat as he recognized another of his kin and Connor answered in the same way.  
Vanessa's gaze jumped between the two of them and there was worry in her glance. She could watch the both pushing themselves up, increasing the pulse, the tension of their muscles.  
"No", Catherine's mother demanded, stepping in front of Connor and placing her hand on his chest, making him look at the tiny fingers in confusion.  
Quickly she turned her head towards Vincent who still sowed his fangs, already crouching slightly, ready to meet an attack or start one.  
"No", Vanessa repeated and shook her head, lifting her hand, her palm towards him.

Confusion in the eyes of both, making them do exactly was Vanessa Chandler had asked for: nothing. When she was sure that they wouldn't change their minds, he leaned down and taking the clothes and slowly stepped towards Vincent, a hint of horror in her eyes. Of course he didn't know what he looked like, even though he could smell the blood, still he had no idea of the gruesome pattern on his face.  
A low snarl came from his throat as Connor intended to follow Cat's mom and she stopped walking towards him, and exhaled.  
"No Connor, he won't hurt me", she sounded astonishingly certain about it making Vincent tilt his head slightly, since he understood that it was him she was talking about and he could remember, how he had saved her, how he got his scar.  
So the black-haired beast huffed and didn't follow as Vanessa continued walking towards Vincent, who slightly shivered as the adrenaline lessened.  
"I'm just bringing her clothes", she said softly towards him, looking at his eyes, acting just like her daughter around him without knowing.  
He comprehended her words and stepped aside, letting her pass, his eyes back on the other beast in this corridor, ignoring the two humans behind him. She walked towards the door and stopped in front of it, not opening, not bringing the hand to the door knob, just looking at Vincent in an undefinable glance.

All Cat could do was hark, press her ear against the door and hope for her to hear something, anything that could tell her what was happening right now. It seemed like an eternity until she heard Vincent snarl and her mother say something. That she was so sure of the thought that he wouldn't hurt her was a strange feeling in her guts. On one hand she somehow believed it, it seemed logical, he had saved her, she had brought him back home, but although there was a tiny but yelling doubt, barely louder as the dark hope, which was an even worse feeling.  
Then again nothing, silence, at least to her ears. No words were spoken, nothing was moved, no guttural sounds. Time seemed to be dripping like syrup.  
"I'm sorry", her mother's voice suddenly was at her ear and for a second, Cat's mind was completely blank, not knowing how to take those two tiny words that could mean everything: sorry for this situation, sorry for not telling them that she was alive, sorry for making Vincent what he was, sorry for betraying them, again.  
Her mind was exploding with possible explanations, trying to find the most reasonable, most logical. And just like time had slowed down to this moment, it seemed to stop just for her to think, just for Cat to decide.  
"No!" she screamed at her mother, slamming her hand against the door as hard as she could.

Vincent heard what Vanessa said and just frowned, not knowing what exactly she meant and somehow it's importance faded as he felt calming down and therefore feeling his injuries more and more. It was Catherine's outbreak that made them all jump and him instantly angry as he noticed the despair, fear and anger that washed over him like a numbing wave of heat. Her mother flinched and froze, staring at him in sudden doubt in her own certainty.  
Another slam from behind the door and both Vincent and Vanessa tore their glances of each other. Yet he didn't attack her but looked at the other beast which was still lingering and lurking, watching each and every twitch of Vincent's muscle closely. All what she did was pressing herself against the door, as she opened it. Even though there was no cloud to be seen it still wafted out of the room as Cat realized the movement and jumped back. With that her mother fell right to her feet.  
Vincent and Catherine alike looked down at her in confused surprise before they realized that they stood only a few feet from each other. She wearing nothing like a hospital gown, her hear framing her face like dark silk, her eyes opened wide and he the Beast as he was, blood spattered and wounded, smelling her scent mixed up with the blood of the ones he had beaten. Still there was another one and this one in that moment was tackling him. Cat didn't know what she should be more terrified of: him being injured like that or the fact that Connor just had stormed into him. That he had other men's blood on him seemed to be something beyond her perception.  
"No!" she gasped out just when the both of them flew out of her view and all she could hear was them crashing to the ground.  
Cat couldn't step out, couldn't intervene because of her mother at her feet, who was just about to pick herself up. Her daughter's body was shaken with cold and anger, clenching her hands into fists, tears in her eyes. Exploding into movement, she grabbed the woman in front of her and yanked her out of the way. She needed to stop them fighting. Stepping outside both were on their feet again and had switched places. They crouched, watching, trying to figure out the other, growling lowly.  
Suddenly Cat was pulled back into the room and the door was shut, her mother locking herself in with her: "The sent will bring them both beyond reason!" But her daughter ignored her, stepping back at the door trying to open it, without a chance.  
"No", she exhaled, pressing her forehead against the door again. "You have to make them stop", Cat continued huskily not looking at her mother. "Vincent's hurt. They have to stop."

Vincent only heard the door shut behind him and fought the instinct to turn around, still his opponent took the chance to leap forward, but Connor wasn't fast enough, as the Beast smacked him in the face and backwards again. Somehow, even though he could taste foreign blood on his lips as he licked them, fighting wasn't important anymore.

"Dress", her mother demanded, holding a piece of clothing towards her, but Cat's answer was nothing but a glare: "Open the door."  
"I can't, it just opened from outside", Vanessa responded nearly shrugging. "I did this to keep you safe. Don't you understand?"  
"What made you change your mind about him?" Cat shouted back at her, ripping the jeans out of her mother's hands.  
"All of this did", was the answer, even though she didn't care for it, trying to get into the legs as quick as possible.

Connor tried to understand why Vincent wasn't attacking, even though he was covered in blood of the two he had possibly killed. In fact he was retreating slightly, trying to get to the door behind which Catherine was, without letting him out of his sight. Connor inhaled deeply and straightened up. Something that Vincent didn't miss, so he did the same. Turning back fully human on the outside was something almost easy for Connor, some advantage of him being the third generation of this illegal project, but he had expected to be much more different. Yet he had to acknowledge that Vincent seemed to be in control of himself to a specific point, apart from the fact that he didn't shape back as quickly, maybe because he shifted into something more extreme, more brute like him. Something that was capable to kill two of Connor's generation.

Cat didn't dare to breathe as she realized that there was no turmoil on the other side of the door. Quickly she ripped the sweatshirt from her mother's hand and replaced the hospital gown with it. This silence was scaring the hell out of her.  
"Do you know what happened with the second generation?" she heard her mother ask, but chose to ignore it. "They killed each other. And those who survived… were put down by Connor and his pack, because Muirfiled begged us for it."  
"That makes no sense", Cat couldn't withstand to answer. "You're lying."

Calming down meant pain, but also control, this was clear like crystal to Vincent and the pain was flooding his veins with the very blood that rushed through them. Still he knew that he needed to be able to restrain himself when he opened that door because this odorless scent was tingling his nerve like a tension that screamed to be released. He had already experienced that without being prepared and he knew that he would life to regret it.

"I'm not lying", Vanessa answered and her daughter turned towards her with a calm and cold face: "Of course not, you can't because you are dead."  
Both women were just looking at each other. One sad and resigning, the other seemingly indifferent. Her mother didn't know that Cat had despite of all what happened still the injection needle in her fist, to which she clung silently. As the door opened she almost dropped it.

Vincent was breathing heavily, looking wearily, but he was almost back to being normal as he stood in front of Catherine again. Still he tried to have one eye on Connor, but it was almost impossible to focus on anything else than her, as the invisible cloud surrounded him, making everything else blurry but her. On the other hand it could be the concussion pulsating from his temple.  
As Cat saw him standing in the entrance, all bruised and battered, her mother was nothing to her, or her trying to look invincible and cold. Nothing really mattered, but leaping forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close. She forgot about everything: where they were, what had happened, that she or her scent probably effected him in the most inappropriate way or that he was hurt. His hissed huff was what reminded her. Yet there was no way to bring space between them, because his arms held her close.  
Even though he tried not to, Vincent had to inhale deeply and he pulled in the intoxicating air that radiated off of her, feeling how his muscles tensed and forced himself to let her go. He looked up in that moment, seeing the woman who presumably was dead: Catherine's mother, but he couldn't react to that, couldn't think, couldn't even look at her, because two hands caught his face, - one fully, and one just with the index finger - enfolded his face and made him look back at Catherine, pulling his lips on hers, just briefly, but he snapped out of the cloud that was dazzling him.

Vincent wanted to kiss her again, over and over, but this was no place for it and the pain of the claws cuts increased more and more. He needed to get back or at least get some kind of treatment but most importantly he needed to get Catherine out of here. This exactly was written in her eyes as he looked at her, in her movement as she gently pushed him back into the corridor. Not until then he was reminded of the small figure that stood behind her: Vanessa Chandler. Tilting his head at her in confusion, with an asking expression that was drowned in the feeling of betrayal, he stepped backwards and still kept looking at that woman he had saved, as Catherine closed the door behind her without turning around, locking her mother away just like she had done to her. A burning pain blazed inside of her and her hands, which had just rested above Vincent's collar bones, now had dug their fingers into his shirt.  
"Catherine!" Vanessa's cry was muffled by the door, but still she wouldn't look back. "You have to leave this all behind. Just go", her mother continued in a pleading tone. "I'm sorry! I tried to explain … Vincent she will never be safe if you …" A sound like a thunder in a barrel broke her off and struck them all, froze them, since they all knew that sound perfectly well, too well because of their profession, of their experience. It was a gun shot.  
For an eternity of a second Vincent and Catherine stared at each other, enough time for her to know and for him to doubt. His knees gave in just two heartbeats later and he wasn't able to fully catch his fall, still trying to understand what had happened. Cat felt blood gluing on her hands as she was forced against the door bey Vincent's weight. Instantly she looked around trying to find the shooter. Her glance found Connor who just stared at the both of them in shock and confusion, before he slowly turned around making Cat's eyes follow his. It was Doc. The gun was still in his hands but he had lowered the weapon, his face expressionless.  
"Listen to your mother", he said bare of emotion and slowly approached. "Now is your last and only chance. Leave him behind."  
Cat was too stunned to cry or panic, the only thing that made her heart beat right now was outrage as Vincent's atonic body slipped to the ground out off her hand and fist, pulling her focus back on him.  
"Vincent", she shrieked inaudibly, kneeling down next beside him, trying to find the impact wound of Doc's shot.  
"Leave, we'll take care of him."  
Catherine's eyes were burning from the emotions that fought inside her for superiority as she looked up at him: "No", her scream was barely a whisper.


	10. Bleeding Out

º Chapter 10 º Bleeding Out º NC-17

Catherine's hands trembled as they enfolded Vincent's pale face. She had no idea what she could do to help him. Her look graced Connor again who stood up straight now as Doc slowly approached with his gun still in his hands.  
"I meant what I said", she said lowly, placing her palm on Vincent's chest that was slightly moving, while she was still kneeling beside him, watching Doc come closer.  
"Then I need you to step away from him", he aimed the gun at her and nodded towards the two persons who had been waiting all the time at the other end of the corridor.  
Cat's eyes were full of urgent pleading, asking, demanding an answer as she looked at Connor, telling him that he had to choose now. She however did not move, even though she looked at the barrel of a weapon.  
"You would shoot the daughter of your partner? Of your most respected student?" her voice was shivering even though she tried to remain calm.  
"You are smart enough to know that we ware more than that", she reply caught her off guard, but Catherine simply froze to glare at him, clenching her jaw and her fist. "But you are right", he continued with a smirk.  
Doc was too close now to see the tiny nod of Connor standing behind him and Vanessa's daughter didn't shift or twitch, but stare at him as if she believed that he would catch fire would she just try long enough.  
"I think she'll forgive me", Doc grinned and struck out the weapon.  
It wasn't Connor who moved. He wasn't fast enough. And most definitely hadn't expected Doc to act like that. The second Cat suspected the movement, by reading the tension of the man's body she jumped on her feet, holding off the armed hand with her free one and drove the injection needle into his neck, hitting the carotid. Once, twice. Instinctively Doc brought up his free hand to his wounded neck, letting go off the gun. Cat instantly leaped for it, watching her abductor tumble backwards, and turned around in one movement, aiming the gun at the two white clothed henchmen of his: "Freeze!" And they did.  
"Connor, get him out of here!" she looked at him. "Please!"  
He just nodded. More distinct now and bent down to pull up Vincent, whose body let a puddle of blood on the ground. Cat's eyes widened in panic, but she got up, looking back at Doc who had caught himself, staring at her in a mixture of hate, despise and compliment. She definitely had made an enemy now or at least he had finally realized it.

Cat decided to keep on aiming the gut at Doc, keeping an eye on the man and woman who had stopped approaching and ignoring her concern about her mother being totally quiet at the other side of the one-way door. That man still pressing against the punctures she had inflicted never stopped glaring at her, even though she slowly moved towards the door. Vincent needed her, there was no time to waste and still she felt a terrible urge inside of her to shoot Doc and end this. Now there was the chance. Her inner battle was mirroring on her face and he could see it, making the corners of his mouth slightly lift up. And Cat knew that he had spoiled her, all that the had gone through the last year had changed her right down to her core. A year ago she never would have thought about killing someone instead of arresting him. And then she saw that he had his hand in his pocket. Memories flashing before her eye of the beasts flinching, changing back, stopping whatever they did. The whistle.  
Cat didn't even decide consciously, she just acted, stepped towards doc and smacked the gun into his face, making him fall backwards. Knelling down with one of her knees right onto his stomach she searched his pockets and not only found the whistle but also his phone. Staring at it stopped her from hitting Doc again. Tipping onto the display she couldn't believe that it wasn't locked and lead her directly to the phone book where she immediately recognized one name, making her swallow darkly. This was one of those situations where you are tempted to believe in fate, in destiny. Pressing the barrel of the gun into Doc's face she dialed the number.  
"Doc why are you…." a male voice responded at the other end.  
"Evan I need you to get here as fast as you can" Cat cut off her friend. "Please…"  
"…I'm right around the corner." She could hear him huff and ran as if she was cut loose.

Tess had been nervous all the time drumming onto the dashboard of the car, moving around watching the entrance of the building, knowing that Vincent had gotten in there to face whatever was so threatening that he hadn't allowed her to come. She looked at her watch and wasn't sure when she should call for backup. Cat was in there and her life was at stake in so many ways that Tess was troubled to decide.  
Suddenly there was movement, some strange shape stepped into the delivery area and she got out of the car as she realized that it was a person carrying another. It was not until she got out of the car and across the road as she found out that it wasn't Vincent carrying Cat but a stranger carrying him and him looking terribly battered.

Tess was paralyzed for a moment and all that she could process right now was that this stranger obviously was helping. So there was no need to pull her gun on him. She eventually flinched as another figure came running out of the building, catching up with the stranger.  
"Cat!" her partner was relieved but her voice was still full of worry. "We need to get him to a hospital. I'll call an ambulance."  
"No!" she shouted at her making Tess' jaw drop. "We can't."  
"He's fading", Connor simply said and put Vincent down. "We can't take him anywhere.  
"Where the hell's Evan?" Cat sounded like she would have screamed if there hadn't been that lump in her throat, her hand clenching around the gun.  
"I'm here", their friend said deeply, startling Tess who turned around towards him: "What are you doing here? How…?"  
"Did you really think that I would stay there while you are trying to get killed by saving Cat?" Evan commented, his eyes on the one he just had named.  
When the unit had finally dropped by the hospital he had told everyone what they had to do and as there hadn't been any more questions he had taken a cap to get here.  
"Please", Catherine begged. "Help him. He's been shot."  
"Among other things", Evan murmured the obvious and knelled down, looking for the spot where the bullet had entered. "There's no exit wound, to the bullet's still in there."  
"Left, the impact was at his left somewhere"; Cat stammered and looked at her partner. "I don't know how many are in there but I haven't seen many. We can't stay here for long, I don't know if they've got backup."  
"Cat he needs an ambulance", Evan insisted. "I don't have anything to work here."  
The two police women just looked at each other.  
"We'll figure something out", Tess nodded at Cat.  
"Got it!" Evan suddenly drew attention. "It hit a few vessels, he needs surgery."  
"We've got everything inside there, you know." They had almost forgotten Connor, who still was standing with them. "Like whole OR and stuff. But they probably have called for backup right now or processing the emergency plan. I'd guess both."  
"You're saying?" Tess frowned, figuring that this handsome guy with the dark look obviously was one of the bad guys.  
"A team will come to get them out and clean up this place in like ten minutes", he answered, looking straight at her.  
"Connor, I've got his whistle", Cat said, holding up the tiny object and earned a wolfy grin.  
"Back in?" Tess and Evan asked almost simultaneously.

Catherine leaned her head against the wall right next to the door behind Tess Evan and Vincent were and looked at Connor. The room luckily had been in the first floor and no one had come here for now.  
The only downside had been that the had passed through the first room, which she had completely ignored the first time as she had run behind Connor and Vincent. Luckily the lights still had been switched out and apart from the iron smell of blood they hadn't seen much. Yet Cat remembered the one body at the door towards the stairs. She hadn't checked his vitals, but there had been a puddle in which she had stepped, making her slippers glue to the ground now.  
However Evan had told her to stay outside making Tess the one to assist him getting the bullet out of Vincent's body. For Connor there never had been any other option than staying out of the OR anyway.  
"He killed them", he stated and learned by Catherine's facial expression that these three words had been unnecessary in various ways.  
So he tilted his head slightly looking at her in way that gave her goose bumps. Even in his human state Connor's eyes seemed more like of an animal than of a human. She asked herself if he could still smell whatever she was radiating from the infusion. Still he didn't try to get closer to her, no, he seemed to make sure to stay at least four feet away from her.  
"You have seen him", he figured out. "You know exactly what he is."  
"I know exactly who he is", Cat almost snapped her correction at him.  
"You love him", now Connor sounded rather amazed and she blinked.  
It was an odd feeling that a stranger knew within seconds what she had needed months for to realize. She didn't say anything as an answer, yet it was more than enough.  
Cat was at pains to find something else to talk about. After all she knew absolutely nothing about Connor apart from that he had betrayed his creator and boss for him. This thought alone made her frown and luckily distracted herself from worrying to death about Vincent. She wanted to as the man in front of her, but something in his face made her stop.  
"They are here", he said staring down the short corridor to the metal door that that a tiny window leading towards the entry room where two men had been mauled to death by Vincent.  
Cat didn't hear anything, but she knew that if he had the same senses as Vincent Connor wouldn't make this up. Exhaling once she tightened the grip of her hands around the gun and stared at the door.

Tess had no idea what she was supposed to do or what to do with herself and panic was spreading in her face. However Evan had no time to calm her down. He needed to get that bullet out of this guy and to stitch him up somehow.  
"Just make sure that he has enough blood and check the pulse", he said to Cat's partner, not even seeing her nod.  
Time was running and therefore Evan didn't just any of the electric devices. All he had done was sticking a needle into Vincent's arm and giving him a blood infusion with the only blood type he was sure that would help and showed Tess how to replace it.  
If he hadn't known it any better Evan would have sworn that the Vincent already had started to heal himself, since he had to conduct a few cuts to get through to the pullet that was causing the injury and for him to bleed to death.

Heather placed the coffee cup in front of Tom and watched him in curiosity, asking in a likewise manner: "So in your free time you still doing the same thing? Like? hacking into something?"  
"I thought you wanted to know who was watching you? Or would you like to see what's going on in New York right now?" Tom asked.  
In the last minutes he had tried to follow back the dark blue hatchback to it's origin, hoping to find a face to the car. But whoever it was, they had been careful, like they knew that all the cameras in the city could catch their faced. So either they had been expected that someone would try to catch them sooner or later or they were hiding themselves from a bigger enemy.  
"I really don't know"; Heather admitted wit a shrug of her shoulders.  
"Well, how about this?" Tom suggested and placed his index finger onto his display, showing the blue car. "I've traced it down to where it originally started. It's first ride was towards the airport and there was no way to hide from them there. Take a look."  
Heather jiggled closer to him - maybe a little more than was necessary and looked at the display watching a blond tall man and a tiny black haired Asian woman walk towards that car. Her face turned wither than pale much to Tom's concern.  
"Are you okay?" he asked softly, placing his hands on Heather's, who shook her head slowly not saying a word.  
It took a moment until she was able to speak and it was simply a question, persisting of only one syllable: "Mom?"

Slowly Catherine lifted her arms and aimed at the door a dozen feet further down that corridor as she believed to finally hear some movement as well. Luckily in here there was only the emergency light on creating a wall of light between her and whoever would step through the entrance. Along with Connor she harked for the noises. Whoever had entered the building now hat switched on the light in the first room - so much she could see through that tiny window.  
Cat almost pulled the trigger as Connor placed his clawed hand onto her lower arm, gently pushing it down a little. She looked up at him and his now distorted features, realizing that he hadn't changed as much as Vincent tend to, his teeth and jaw looked a lot more human even though the muscles had grown and his eyes were now or a piercing amber, much brighter as Vincent's golden ones. The faint light was reflecting in them like they were cat eyes.  
All she could think of was to give him a slight nod and allow him to shove her behind him, before he stepped closer to the pillar of light dividing the small corridor in two. Something that she hadn't been able to hear must have brought him to this action. Still Cat's nerves were tensed in a way that she felt she could snap every moment. Even more as she made the mistake to let her glance move towards the door of the OR which has a window as well. Seeing Vincent's inanimate body on the table while Evan was leaning over him. Tess seemed to have noticed her and gave Cat a brief and stern look. She just had exchanged the blood bags.  
The sound of the metal door opening with a creak ripped her attention back to the front. Gun ready. Eyes straight. Slightly crouching Connor was still blocking her view but from what she could tell there was just only person now. Someone he apparently knew since he seemed to relax just a little, stepping forward and Cat shifted to the side to get glimpse. Nothing told her how she should think about the relatively small figure in comparison with Connor's tall one and as a pair of reflecting eyes directly stared at her she knew it was another beast.  
"Connor, what the fucking hell?" the woman said with a scratchy voice as a comment to what she had seen.  
"She's her daughter", was the answer Cat could hear and which obviously seemed to tell that woman more than her, since she nodded sharp.  
The way she moved her head was somehow inhuman and she made a sniffing sound, all the while staring at Catherine who had slowly lowered her gun. This was a female beast. Connor had told her that there would come someone to extract her mother and Doc and whomever else was here and clean up. Of course she had figured that this possibly would mean more beasts, still she hadn't thought of a woman.

Evan knew that when he had gotten the bulled out he would have to make sure that it hadn't taken a piece of cloth with it, otherwise the would would most certainly infect. But just the second he had pulled it out and tried to look at the injury it already was healing. So he had no other chance than to cut. Ignoring Tess's disbelieving frown he grabbed the scalpel and continued.  
"Pulse?" Even asked to keep Cat's partner occupied, noticing her movement as she brought her hand to Vincent's neck.  
"Wow", was her first comment. "Steady and strong, but freaking slow."  
"Okay, help be out here and check these piercings at his ribcage. Make sure that…"  
There had been a small shred and Evan just had managed to slowly pull it out with a forceps, as Vincent suddenly moved. A twitch of his muscles and then a strong lifting of his chest. For mere moments they just blinked and looked at head other until they saw something that they couldn't believe: Vincent changing. They needed some time again to process what they were witnessing before they realized that they might better get out of the way. Tess jumped back as Vincent's eyes snapped open. She couldn't believe that the change was that drastic and pressed herself against the refrigerator behind her, in which the blood infusions had been stored.  
Evan however moved backwards much more slowly, scalpel and forceps still in his hands as Vincent sat up with a low growl, ripping of the the shirt that was barely rags, leaving him bare chested. Tess cocked one brow. Apart from that the injuries at his ribcage were almost completely healed.  
As he got up his feed the Beast noticed the infusion needle in his arm and pulled it out with a huff, noticing Cat's partner at the other side of the table. Though he didn't turn around to look at Evan it wasn't sure if he really noticed him. However his eyes were on Tess now and she did the only thing she could come up with in that situation: lifting the corners of her lips to a weak smile and waved at him, while her face said something like "please don't kill me".  
Vincent tilted his head slightly because of her gesture and huffed before he stepped towards the door causing Tess to exhale cautiously. Yet the didn't open it but eventually turned his head, his eyes reflecting the light of this room. As his glance met Evan's an unambiguous sound came from his throat: he harrumphed with slightly narrowed eyes.

The woman kept staring at her in a way Catherine couldn't put anywhere and then she realized that the strange eyes were wandering between her and the door. Cat's heart sunk as she realized Connor's comrade knew that there were more than just her.  
"Two humans and … " that woman looked up at him, not moving closer not acting threatening and still she freaked Cat out in a way neither Vincent nor Connor had been able to, even more when her stern face turned puzzled. "Him? He's in there? Are you insane? You have to leave!"  
Not it was Catherine's turn to be confused.  
"Wait a second", she wanted to move towards them and ask what this was all about, if this had been planned, if her mother knew, but she didn't face the chance because out of the corner of her eye she saw Vincent rise and he wasn't himself.  
"Damn", she gasped out as he gave Tess a long look to turn around, apparently staring at Evan.  
"You need to go", Cat heard Connor say as if he was much further away, just when she opened the door, making the Beast turn towards her. "Now!"  
That he was locking the metal door right behind her was something she just notes unconsciously, equally to the glances Evan and Tess gave her as she leaped towards Vincent, gasping out his name inaudible and wrapped her arms around him. Right now she didn't care in which state he was in. He would never hurt her. Catching Catherine he wrapped his arms around her and stumbled backwards, huffing and she noticed that he was trying to keep his balance.  
Shock ran through her like a lightning and quickly she got back onto her own feet and held Vincent's face, looking into his now golden eyes.  
"You are fine, right?" she asked him, getting a head-tilt as answer.  
So Cat looked past him towards Evan who obviously wasn't able to comprehend what he saw at that moment: "He is fine, right?"  
Then she realized that her friend still was holding a scalpel and forceps. He blinked and eventually looked at her directly.  
"No", was his answer. "Well he shouldn't be standing or be awake either, but he lost too much blood and the bullet wasn't just a flesh wound…"  
As if he wanted to agree on that, Vincent faltered, shifting one foot back, to catch up his balance. Cat automatically moved her hands to his shoulders, noticing that he hadn't stopped to look at her all the time.  
And just in that moment, the door behind her was pulled into its frame and locked.

All four of them stared at the closed opening, having different thoughts, like how or why or who would make an OR lockable from the outside. Yet it was only Cat who saw the amber eyes below black straight eyebrows she had learned to know today and apparently there had been only one who came into consideration here. She frowned. Why had her instincts betrayed her? It was her own fault for trusting Connor, she told herself, for taking the risk.  
A low snarl sounded to her hears from behind and Cat felt how Vincent's muscles were twitching below her fingers, how she felt his hands at her sides forcing her to let him pass so that she would stand behind him, wounded as he was. Her gaze grazed across his bare upper body, sawing the merely healed punctures, scratches, cuts and gashes that made her catch for air. The worst apart from the still slightly bleeding bullet-hole in his side, in the middle of his ribcage was the lesion at his temple. His steps seemed unstable and his breath was shallow and still he was full on beast mode. Again his muscles tensed and Cat instantly knew what he was up to.  
"Vincent! No!" she shouted a whisper just as he intended to lift up his arms, to smash them against the heavy door.  
Not seeing how Tess and Evan exchanged looks of awe and doubt she moved towards him, placing her hands onto his back, slightly stroking his skin where he wasn't hurt.  
"Calm down, you need to calm down", Cat said softly and Vincent turned back towards her looking down, breathing heavily; she could see worry in his eyes.  
It was then as suddenly the ventilator started, making them all flinch and wait for some visible gas to stream into the room. Instinctively Catherine and Vincent moved closer together as they all looked around to find the shut. Her placing one hand onto his chest and he placing one of his claws onto her back, continuing to hold his balance.  
"It's a secured room", Evan said unexpectedly. "Own oxygen system. Hermetically sealed, I guess."  
"So no air gets in or out", Tess thought out aloud and Cat exhaled, to breathe in deeply.  
No one apart from Vincent had difficulties to stand straight, or felt dizzy, or felt anything chance, apart from the faint dropping of temperature. She hadn't been wrong about Connor. Remembering how that woman had sniffed and instantly knew how many of them had been here, she understood now. He was concealing their scent. Her gaze dropped and if she had been in this room as Vincent had woken up she would have noticed that he had taken the remains of the shirt he had ripped off.  
Connor closed the second door further down the short corridor behind him, the bloody cloth in his hands that reeked off Vincent. he knew further down there was a manhole. Hopefully they wouldn't go through that corridor, because Kara, his friend would have told them that the area was empty.

Vincent still wasn't really himself and Cat had the bad feeling that it wasn't only because of his blood loss, but due to her being that close to him as well. She could feel his unsteady heartbeat below her palm. And he still was bleeding. This was her main concern now, just like him still standing like there was a storm he had to fight against. She didn't care that Evan and Tess were with them. Something told Cat that him being the Beast right now was somehow a protection an instinct to keep him alive, but she wondered for how long he could keep this up without bleeding to death. Her hands were back to his face again and his attention entirely to her.  
"You need to lay down again", she said softly and turned her gaze to Evan, who seemed to be fully intrigued. "We need to keep him arm, right? And he needs more blood, right?"  
"I doubt that he will just be a good beast and just do what you…." Tess was commenting, but didn't finish since Vincent sat don on the table, not taking his eyes of Cat, who didn't stop touching his face and looked back at him.  
"Blanket. Good point", her best friend nodded an looked around; better to search something like that than trying to handle this situation.  
"Yes, keeping him warm would help, and more blood as well", Evan slowly put town the instruments he still held. "but I doubt he won't let me any near him or you."  
Cat glanced at Vincent again, who seemed to have trouble staying concious, so instead of answering to Evan she gently held his face up to look at her, smiling, trying to hide her worry and fear. His features seemed to change, to become more normal and for the first time she didn't want that to happen.  
"Hey", she smiled softly and following an idea she stepped closer to him.  
There had to be something left of that pheromone in her body. For all she knew she had had almost a full bag of that stuff in her system.  
"No blanket", Tess reported after she had scanned the small room and held out her hand towards Evan. "Give him your jacket."  
Both him and Cat just blinked at her, but he did as he was told, without any word of resentment, and she was distracted by two arms wrapping around her waist and pulling her close, so that she couldn't hold Vincent's face any more, since he pressed his face against her. Realising how cold his skin was now she tried to place her own arms around him, gently rubbing his back. Cat had to adjust her stand because he suddenly weighted heavily against her.  
"Does he know that we are still here?" Tess asked.

Tom and Heather had been putting their heads together going though all the video's they could hack into and in which that blue car had been found. There was no other useful material to prove that it really had been Vanessa Chandler. Still Heather was absolutely sure. She would have sworn an oath on it and there was nothing Tom could have said to change her mind. She had been trying to reach her sister, but it was no use, she didn't pick up. The same with Tess. Heather hadn't thought much about it until she tried to call Evan, who also didn't react to it. Now additionally to freaking out she was panicking. SO took grabbed her shoulders and made her look into his eyes, telling her to breath in deeply and calm down to make them both a tea - since coffee obviously be counter productive and that he would call JT.  
"Everything will be fine", he said softly smiling, which dazzled Cat's little sister for a moment.  
As she snapped out of it and went behind the counter that separated the living room from the kitchen, Tom took the phone and called his colleague who didn't pick up. Now he as well was worried but tried not to show it and walked slowly away from Heather calling again. The moment when he thought about faking a conversation JT finally was at the other end, sounding a little out of breath. Tom chose not to inquire.  
"Sorry", was the first thing he said instead and lowered his voice. "Listen, we're trying to get a hold on all of the guys but no one's picking up. And as far as I got to know Heather she will ask me to find out where they are and you know I can't resist bit pleading eyes filled with tears. Is there anything I should know? Like un-dead mothers? Or something?"

JT needed a moment to digest the flood of information just to end up that he didn't understand one single damn thing, but being completely worried. "Okay, if they still are where you send them then don't tell her", he eventually decided looking up the stairs to where Sarah was standing.  
"You know", Tom was whispering at the other end now. "I tried to get a look but is seems that the cameras in that area have been dead for some minutes now. I didn't want to worry her. Heather is absolutely sure that she saw her mother who is supposedly dead."  
Still his eyes on Sarah JT swallowed now and exchanged looks in her, making her asking one into a worried one, mirroring his own expression.  
"Did you find out anything else about the car?" he dug deeper.  
"I had no chance to, I'm too busy trying not to freak that girl out", Tom answered.

Catherine didn't really comprehend and barely heard her friends comment, because the weight on her body grew more heavy and in the second she realized what was going on her eyes tore open wide in panic.  
"He's not breathing! Evan, he's not breathing!" she tried to push Vincent away from her and onto the table but she needed Tess who leaped forwards to aid her in doing that.  
"Why is he not breathing, he was fine!" Cat babbled under her breath and stared down at Vincent who was back to being normal, which freaked her out even more.  
Evan already had two fingers at his neck, trying to find a pulse, giving Tess a stern look who grabbed Cat at her shoulder to pull her away as he jumped onto the table instantly starting a cardiac massage.  
"Blood!" his English accent was unmistakable and her friend let her go, running around the table to get another blood back and another infusion needle.  
"Cat, focus", he continued as Tess tried to place back the fresh needle into Vincent's arm, but he pulled it out of her hand and shoved it back in himself, ordering. "Mouth-to-mouth, now."  
His rational tone seemed to wash her mind and she nodded, getting at the other end of the table, trying not to look at Vincent's pale face and to do as Evan had told her. bending down, holding close that nose she tried not to think how odd this was, tried to ignore how strange his cool skin felt and inhaled deeply into her mouth, breathing out into his, matching Evan's rhythm.  
Don't cry, she demanded, focus. Don't you cry right now. Inhale. Exhale. Pull in the air. Push it out. Cat had no idea for how long she had been doing this. Something told her as long as she continued she would keep him alive.  
"Cat", there was this noise that sounded like her name, but there was no time now to follow it.  
"Cat" again, somehow she knew that voice, but still: keep focus.  
"Cat!" hands around her shoulders, pulling her away.  
She tried to get them off and back to her task. That was all what mattered now but Tess forced her around to face her.  
"Stop", she told her.  
"No, I have to…" she dissented, but that expression.  
Her mien told something terrible.

They hadn't caught up with him. Not yet at least. Connor knew as he dropped the shirt that they still would smell his scent and the dried blood on his hands. Hopefully they would continue to follow him, even though a part of him wished they wouldn't. He never had wanted to be in this situation, he always had been the good soldier, doing what he was told. And now he had done the opposite. At least to everyone else but him, Kara and Vanessa Chandler.  
After dropping the blood stained rags it was replaced with a cell and he looked onto its display. A frown appeared on his face: no call. Connor kept on running through the canal and he had to breathe through his mouth because the stench was unbearable to his inhuman nose. Obviously he knew where he was heading, knowing this place as if he had been there. A tremor ran through his hand, and without looking at it he placed the device to his ear and took the call: "Kara"  
"I send Ava and Neill after you", she answered without any greeting. "Doc is pissed. I have never seen him like that. We're taking her tonight. Do you copy?"  
"Positive", was everything he said and the call was ended.  
Connor's facial expression darkened, his eyes reflecting the faint light of this place a hint of displeasure appeared in his face before he jumped into the sewage and sped up.

JT looked at his phone in confusion as it rang again just as he had finished talking to Sarah about Tom's news.  
"Okay, what'cha got?" he simply asked but the pause on the other end was simply too long for being Tom, so he corrected. "Forbes?" earning a questioning look by his girl-friend.  
"Your friends are at their last known destination", a woman's voice he had never heard before told him with a sound that gave him goose bumps. "They are locked in for their own safety", she continued in that same icy monotone manner. "Wait five minutes before you get into the car. Enter per foot through the open gate, step through the front door that will be unlocked, keep straight on then right. The security card to open that door will beneath the waste bin to your left. In that corridor will be only one door which you can open with that card as well. Do you copy?"  
"Yes, but…" JT started but the woman already had hung up and the same puzzled-questioning expression was on his face now as he stared at Sarah.  
His next glance was aimed at his watch: "Five minutes."

Even though Cat's head felt like she was thinking a thousand thoughts, fighting to comprehend the situation, to understand what Tess' face meant, in the end there was just one syllable escaping her mouth, nothing more than a faint gasp: "No…"  
As if hearing her own voice, this nightmare seemed to become real. Suddenly she felt cold, her body without strength, like it was loosing its will to stand up straight and yet it had enough power for trying to fight against her friend's grasp.  
"No." she said more loudly, as if her determination alone had the ability to chance the truth, so she repeated more loudly. "No!"  
Tess didn't want her to face it, tightening her grip around her shoulders, but she could have tried to claw into Catherine's flesh or break her bones, there was no use holding her, who was back to whispering again: "No", is was more a plea than everything else.  
Evan already had gotten down from the table, now standing at the other side of it, pulling out the needle and throwing away the empty blood bag, apparently trying to keep himself occupied. He didn't dare looking at Catherine. The sound of her voice alone were hot knives to his body.  
"Cat…" it was Tess again and the realized that she had been staring at Vincent's lifeless body for she didn't know how long.  
"No", she said once more her voice hoarse right now. "Nonono, this can't be. He can't, Tess. He can't. He'll wake up. He's just regenerating. He's different. He'll wake up."  
Catherine nodded, reinforcing her own words.  
"He has no pulse", Evan answered calmly as her friend didn't know what to say. "The trauma to his head, the shot gun. His heart just…"  
"No!" Cat yelled at him. "You've been hunting him down for what he is and that's why he can't be dead."  
Still she kept her distance to Vincent's body as if touching it, feeling how it cooled off would make it more real.  
"He's still human", Evan replied to that.  
"So why didn't you save him?" she gave back, her voice husky now, eyes burning and though she knew her words weren't fair, there had been no chance stopping herself from speaking them out.  
"I'm sorry", Tess spoke softly, standing behind her, making her stop glaring at Evan from whom both women knew that he had done everything he could.  
"Vincent", Cat said with a broken voice as her eyes found him again, laying there pale and motionless, bruised and battered and lips of blue; she couldn't tear them away.

If Evan or Tess said something to her, Cat wasn't able to hear it for her ears were deaf just like her body was numb, beyond freezing as she stepped towards the table. It felt like eternities as she was moving, like the air was ice she tried to fight against. Reaching out with her hand to place it against his cheek was almost like watching herself. It was a paining jolt through her nerves as she touched his skin that didn't react to her for the very first time and made her close her eyes, to send tears down her cheeks. Vincent still felt oddly warm, but she knew that a corpse needed its time to cool off and to for the rigor mortis to set in.  
"Please", Cat exhaled suddenly, feeling how her knees were giving in, making her hit the table and crash on it with her upper body, wrapping her arms around Vincent's head, pressing her forehead against his. "Please don't", her voice had no sound and no strength in it.  
All Tess and Evan could do was stand there and watch. He didn't even dare to wash off the blood from his hands, afraid that any sound would cause for Cat to breakdown entirely. He could never be jealous any more, never even think that there had been any chance for him. Even thinking about this right now felt so wrong that he felt ashamed. None of the others did notice. Tess was too torn about how she should act. Rarely she had felt that helpless and never she had witnessed Cat being like this.  
Pressing herself up a little so that she managed to enfold Vincent's face with her hands, moving it a little towards her - which as hurtfully easy and without any resistance - she looked at him, frowning, pleading, begging. There had been a moment like this only once in her life, a moment she remembered perfectly well now, as if it had been yesterday when she had been standing all alone between two mauled corpses and her dead mother next to her car. Shot. Gone. And she had been entirely alone. And still it wasn't the same, because just a glimpse later she had realized that there had been someone there for her. And now that someone was gone.  
Still he smelled so much like him and Cat closed her eyes again, nuzzling her face against his, as tears started to run down her face permanently, burning down trails on her own skin. She didn't care that Tess or Evan were with them, she didn't care that somewhere here was her supposedly dead mother, she didn't care for anything that happened to day. Everything was meaningless without him.  
"Please don't leave me", she whispered, her lips grazing against his scar, and she brushed them up to his mouth.  
"Don't leave me", Cat begged inaudibly, not opening her eyes again and gently pressed her lips on his, kissing him, telling herself again, that as long as their mouths would meet she would keep him alive.

JT had seriously waited in the kitchen, staring at his watch for five minutes. Apart from that he had been trying to convince Sarah not to join him, but it had been no use and a part of him was relieved that she didn't. In fact it was something about her he loved. Maybe he didn't really gave real effort into his arguments, but at least he had to, for her sake and as they finally took off Vincent's best friend had more than just a bad conscience. On the other hand that voice on the other side of the call had sounded creepily determined, so there might be no danger.  
Continuously he had repeated what that woman had told him and he was about to start over again, as Sarah placed her hand onto his on the driving wheel: "Even I know for sure now where to go and what to do, relax", she smiled softly. "Everything will be fine."  
Even though her expression was heart-warming and made him return the mien JT didn't feel like it, actually he felt worse, like something terrible had happened, something he didn't know about yet. It crept down his spine like a spider of ice.  
"Not until I see it", he said and swallowed drily.

Vincent's room mate and best friend usually wasn't fast driver. He didn't really see the us in it wasting gas and ruining the car just to become stressed and don't get to you destination that much quicker. But this time it was different. He already was stressed out, no, freaking out, and he had to remind himself over and over again, that Sarah was with him in the car and that it didn't help a thing. Then gain he felt like time was running out.

Tess lifted up her hands for placing them onto Cat's shoulders just to let them drop again, and Evan eventually decided to wash his hands. There was no way to bare watching Cat's refusal to let Vincent go and he was sure that this man was gone: no pulse. He had checked, Tess had checked and they had waited for some time until pulling their friend away from him. And now there was nothing they could do. Cat's partner tried to open the door, but it was no use, yet she wasn't able to turn around and back towards her and Evan took a look at his cell, but this room was definitely sealed. Ultimately they both would have to face their friend again, who still was clinging to hope like to a tiny splinter in a tempest. Looking at each other they felt completely helpless in this situation. None of them wanted to be the one to pull her away.

Catherine stroke across his face with her fingertips, looking at Vincent with tear swollen eyes, knowing that she had to eventually pull herself together. As she had slowly moved her head backwards, her lips letting go of his, there had been no reaction. The pain was like a growing balloon in her chest that needed to explode but she couldn't allow it just yet. So she held her breath. There was no denying her friends who were with her in this room. There was no hiding any more, no lies to be told. Now she asked herself why she hadn't been able to take the risk. It was too late now, was it?  
"I'm sorry", Cat whispered, stroking his cheek softly, holding the other like she always did. "I'm so sorry."  
She was fighting against the pressure in her chest, against her heart, the numbness in her body, her freezing skin. This was all her fault. All of it. For being such a righteous, cowardly, selfish bitch. For waiting until it was too late. Now she would never have the chance to tell him and the idea that he might have known, because it had been so obvious that even Connor knew it in an instant was worthless. It didn't make her feel better at all, no even worse. For he would have known that it hadn't been enough to admit it or risk anything.  
"Cat", Tess eventually said and stepped towards her.  
Still not daring to touch her friend she looked back at Evan for some support, but his face was blank. What could they do now? There was no chance getting out of this place and therefore no way to get her away from that man, they barely knew and meant that much to her that she obviously didn't care about anything right now.  
"No", Cat surprisingly answered, with eyes closed. "Just let me. Please."  
Even though her voice was determined it was a little shaky and even more broken. There was a tone resonating with it making Tess and Evan feel much more downhearted than before hearing it. It was the sound of losing hope. Just then her friend realized that they should stay quiet as long as possible, because it was the most painful way a voice could sound.  
Swallowing drily she opened her eyes again and this time she felt like crying blood, since her tears felt hot and gluey, trailing down her cheeks slowly, clinging to her skin. Cat tried to breathe evenly, to gather the little strength that was left in her. It was only enough to push herself away or lean down one last time.  
She did the latter, gently placing her lips on his and exhaled her hot breath onto his cool skin, for merely a whisper: "I love you."

Tom had been trying to occupy Heather with keeping to look for the car in the actual traffic as he himself recognized a car and couldn't help himself but point at it: "That's JT's car."  
"Whose?" Heather cocked one brow and earned a head-shake. "Oh. Well he looks kind of in a hurry", she added and shrugged.  
"I never took him for a rowdy in traffic", he commented.  
"Can't you …" she looked at him with those big pleading eyes he had talked about to JT earlier on the phone. "help him?" she grinned widely and playfully. "This would be nice, wouldn't it? Just for fun?"  
"You actually think that I can mess with the traffic lights?" Tom furrowed his brow, but smirked embarrassedly.  
"Can you not?" Heather answered with a question.  
His response was a chuckle.  
"Well I see what I can do", he winked at her and flexed his fingers, distracting the pretty one without realizing it really.

The room was filled with freezing silence. Both her friends didn't even dare to breathe for a moment and Tess was trying to hold back her own tears hearing that. She hadn't known Vincent for long, but that hadn't changed the fact that she had liked him instantly, not only because he was willing to get hurt or killed for Cat. Not that she had ever thought for this to happen. Evan barely managed to swallow down the lump in his throat. He simply was paralyzed by those three tiny yet so meaningful words.

JT was absolutely confused as after driving stop-and-go through the New York traffic for about ten to fifteen minuted the traffic lights seemed to have a thing for him. It didn't seem to matter that the sign just had switched to red and the cars of the crossing street just started driving just to stop again. He frowned and gave Sarah a puzzled look every time, which seemed to somewhat amuse her. Eventually he simply shrugged and drove, following her directions.

Catherine knew that she had to let go off him, but she couldn't move. Every fiber of her body seemed to be transfixed. And then she realized, holding her breath with her mouth slightly opened, waiting, just to be sure. It couldn't be the ventilator, could it?  
"He's breathing", she exhaled inaudibly, repeating three times louder. "Evan, he's breathing!"

Evan was startled by her words but got to the table just a second later, bringing his fingers to Vincent's neck, trying to find a pulse. Waiting for a moment while looking into Cat's hopeful eyes he shook his head and went for the wrist. Once again he waited but didn't find any sign of life. Still he wouldn't give up until he had it absolutely ruled out this time, since he looked around, picking a glass out of he cupboard and holding it above Vincent's mouth, right beneath his nose, holding it there for what felt like an eternity.

JT pulled into that street where he would wind the building, not knowing that a few miles down Tom and Heather were giving themselves a high five. He just remembered that the woman had told him to wait for five minutes and he had no idea if he was too early, even though he felt like being too late. Recognizing Tess' squad car he felt strangely awful to stop his own behind hers. Somehow he knew that they all would been in this seemingly abandoned building.  
"I think you should wait here", he turned towards Sarah.  
"You know that this isn't a good idea. You need backup where it can actually be backup", she answered. "So I'm coming with you."  
They exchanged looks for a few heart beats anding up in JT sighing heavily and rolling his eyes.

Evan lifted up the glass to look at it. Still clear. No sign of breath that might have condensed against the material. He didn't know what to tell Cat when he looked at her, countering her gaze. Telling by her expression, she understood and her hope turned into determination.  
"He's not dead", she said, speaking out her truth.  
It didn't sound like wishful thinking. Evan's eyes moved to Tess in concern, but all she could do was trying to fight and hide her tears. Both their attention was drawn to Cat, who held Vincent's face in her hands again, seemingly with her strength regained.  
"I'm here", she whispered with a reassuring smile. "Be here with me."

JT and Sarah followed the woman's - Cara's - orders precisely and the both tried to ignore the stench of acid and bleach in the big room which they had to follow straight in order to get to that door with the card beneath the bin. They gave themselves a nod and JT held it against the device next to the door while Sarah watched his back. With a beep the metal door with the tiny window unlocked itself and Vincent's friend pulled it open cautiously to peek inside. There was one big light at the ceiling, deciding the small corridor into two halves and just behind it there was that door the woman had spoken of.

JT stepped into the corridor and somehow he was afraid to do so. Not because of the creepy atmosphere, he couldn't really explain it. Slowly he moved further, looking back at Sarah who stayed there, holding the door open and smiling slightly at him every time his gaze was on her.  
This door had a larger window and as he looked through it his expression derailed and with it Sarah's smile vanished. he saw Tess and Evan looking at each other in helpless worry and doubt and Catherine leaning over Vincent - he wasn't able to see her face - but his best friend was lying on a operating table and he wasn't moving.  
He didn't realize that he brought his hand up to the scanner unlocking the door with a beep until Cat's friends looked at him in surprise. She however didn't react at all.  
Only unconsciously she noticed that they were moving to the door and speaking out her name. She let them go. She wouldn't leave him.  
"You know I still need you", Cat whispered with a smile, placing her forehead against his.  
"Oh my God, what happened?" she heard JT in the back but much further away than he really was.  
Evan's answer was just mumble as she fought against the upcoming, growing fear that her friend might be right, that it had been only her imagination. Yet again she had felt it, this slight breeze against her skin, faintly warm, but enough to tell her.  
"Don't keep me waiting a whole night again", she whispered. "Do you hear me? You have to wake up now. We have to go. My bed is much nicer than this table."  
Cat could sense how JT stepped into the room and she could have sworn that she even could hear his heartbeat racing in that moment. And then he backed off, like Evan or Tess pulled him away and of out of this room. However it didn't matter now.  
"You know I can be impatient, don't you?" Cat tried to smile once more.  
Closing her eyes again, she pressed her lips on his, kissing him just the way she had done as she had woken up from sleep not too long ago, when she had thought that she till had been dreaming. She bended over the table as far as she could, getting as close as possible. And then there was a twitch beneath her. She knew that she wasn't heavy enough to cause the table to move. Cool breath grazed her face which was not her own and a pair of lips that weren't hers moved beneath her mouth just a little. Her eyes flung open and she looked into a pair of brown startled ones.  
Quickly she gave him space.  
"Outch", he murmured and managed to smirk slightly. "What happened?"


	11. Rise

Chapter 11 Rise [R]

Since it was obvious that Vincent needed rest and someone to take care of him, somewhere safe and difficult to access Catherine didn't accept any arguing about her decision to take him to her place. Even though she had to call her sister in order to make her leave the apartment, since apart from that she had met Vincent there was the tiny problem with him being heavily injured and that was nothing Cat wanted to talk to Heather about. However it was credibly easy to make her little sister leave, maybe because she had intended to do so anyway.  
She left with Tom, who was to be trusted, even if JT's facial expression left a glint of doubt as he said so. Both sisters were determined not to tell each other about the fact that their mother still lived. Even though Cat had the ultimate proof while Heather still had to make sure that her eyes hadn't betrayed her. And Tom was more than willing to investigate with her at his home where he had much better equipment to do so. He left tablet behind next to Heather's note where her sister could reach her: one with which Cat had access to all the traffic cameras around the building and inside of it.  
"Your friend's skills are really impressive", she said towards Sarah who had accompanied Cat in her kitchen while JT supported Vincent getting into her room, without Evan, who had been dragged back to the precinct by Tess.  
"Well they should, it's his field of study", Sarah replied with a smirk.  
"However pretty illegal", Cat cocked one brow grinningly and placed the tablet back onto the counter.  
Both went quiet with fading smiles, waiting for the awkwrd silence to fill the room. None of them knew what they could or should say. It was Sarah who spoke first, surprising Cat with her words: "Don't worry. You aren't alone in this. And I am sure that he will be fine. Apparently all he needs to get better is JT and you, so please keep him posted, okay?"  
Cat looked at the woman she had now met for the first time, not knowing what else to answer then: "Yes, of course. I will", and before she could ask or say anything else JT came out of her room looking terribly concerned. Even though he tried to keep the corners of his mouth lifted, he had put his hands in his pockets. There was no way ignoring that he would rather have Vincent home with him.  
"You know Cat is right", Sarah stepped towards him, caressing the left of his upper arms. "It's safer here and you probably should come home with me to keep you safe as well."  
JT's gaze snapped towards her, which made Cat chuckle.

After JT and Sarah had left Cat walked towards her bedroom just to see that Vincent had fallen asleep in her bed. She couldn't help herself but watch him sleep for a while, ending up leaning against the door frame with a faint smile. Even though it was impossible to ignore how worn out and battered he looked like, the expression on his face was peaceful, as if he felt truly safe.  
It took her some effort to rip herself away in order to get some food. Cat felt like starving and apart from that, she needed to take a look at the tablet. Just to be sure. She had been abducted twice. Once from her apartment, but this time she would keep the windows locked and her eyes on the tablet. Maybe Tom would return to add some cameras, so that she could make sure no one would come up the fire escape again - at least no one she wouldn't want here.

Partly she was surprised that Vincent didn't wake up from the smell of food, just to be worried about it. Cat decided to finish her plate and then to go over with a second one to make sure that he was okay. It wasn't anything special: just noodles with chicken and vegetables, but for her it tasted like the best thing in ages.  
When she entered the room with a full plate in one and the tablet in the other hand Vincent hadn't moved an inch. So obviously he rather had passed out instead of fallen asleep. It wasn't a big surprise. Still Cat put the tablet on her side board and walked towards the bed, where he was laying on his back the scar hidden in the pillow, facing her. Since his left side was the worst she was safe to sit down right there. Yet she was cautious, putting the plate onto her night table before she slowly sat down, not wanting to wake him up.  
Vincent was breathing evenly and deeply, but apparently he had noticed her, because his face was twitching slightly, turning his plain expression into a slight smile, which warmed her heart like a sunny day in winter. Cat had to hold her back from hugging and kissing him, instead he agreed on gently brushing her fingers across his cheek.  
There had been the risk of waiting him and a part of her really wanted to, because it would tell her that he wasn't in a really bad state. So her relief outweigh the bad conscience as Vincent opened his eyes and blinked before he moved his head slightly to look at her, mirroring her smile as she whispered: "Sorry."

"Don't be", Vincent rather murmured than spoke.  
"I was wondering if you might be hungry", Cat replied, trying to cover her concern about his condition with words.  
"Smells delicious", he stated with a weak smile and tried to sit up, distorting his face while doing so.  
Now Cat felt even more bad about waking him, but on the other hand it had been what JT had suggested. With a metabolism that was able to regenerate that fast he would run the risk to starve. As she handed over the plate, taking it off the desk for him, Vincent proved his best friend right, since he finished it in a record time.  
"Well I take that as a compliment", Cat commented and earned an embarrassed smirk that made her chuckle. "You want more?"  
"I feel like I was starving", he nodded and so she got up taking the plate with her.  
"Just like JT said", she smiled and left, sensing his glance on her back.  
It felt good to be the one taking care of him instead the other way around. Somehow it made her think more positively. Cat knew that it was just like her, she needed to be the one in control. What irony it was that she was in love with someone who literally was barely able to be in control of himself.  
When she returned, his eyes were closed again and for a second she felt like a lightning had struck her heart, until the moment his chest lifted in a deep breath. Vincent had only fallen asleep again. He was still here with her. Again she stood there, staring at him with a plate in her hand, not sure if she should be strong now and not wake him this time. But then again, he was sitting and that would become uncomfortable sooner or later.  
"Here", Cat said with an uncertain smile, stepping towards the bed and his eyes popped open.  
"Thanks", he lifted both his arms to take the plate off her hands flinching as the pain in his side reminded him that he had been shot.  
"I can't believe that you've been shot just less than two hours ago", she heard herself speak in astonishment. "I was in surgery and the hospital for days and you…"  
"Well I can't really go into a hospital", Vincent held his eyes onto the food he was eating; he almost had a bad conscience for not savoring it more, since it was really good apart from that it had been Catherine who had cooked for him.

They were almost right back to the point where it all had started. Apart from that it was Vincent now who was too tired to stay awake and Catherine who couldn't tear herself away, after she tucked him in. And there was no way to stop smiling widely at the picture in front of her: him inside her bed, now on his side, one hand beneath the pillow. Still he was pretty pale, though the shadows beneath his eyes had faded a bit.  
After pretty much trying everything to distract her and keep her occupied - like washing up, cleaning, going through the mails and emails, Cat ended up in her chair, to her desk, tabled next to her notebook with direct view onto her bed. She couldn't really concentrate and didn't truly look at the screen since she was too busy glancing over to Vincent, who was breathing deeply. Being honest to herself, Cat simply waited for a normal time to go to bed. Then again she ended up asking herself what was wrong with going to bed early? Some people spend half the day in bed - not that this was something she absolutely couldn't do, since she was not her sister and rather the restless type.

Catherine had tied to be as quiet as possible, even though she knew that Vincent could hear much better than anyone else and it would be useless. Then again he was drained and exhausted. Tiptoeing around him she had gotten her PJs and brought her laptop and the tablet to the other night table and she realized that it had been an eternity since the last time she had someone else in her bed - not counting the accidental sleep over the other day. Cat had to smile about herself because she had always been so concerned thinking everything through before she even had invited a man into her apartment for dinner. When it came to Vincent she didn't even think, she just did. With that on her mind as she slid her legs beneath the sheets, Cat just had to wrap one arm around him gently, cautiously to not get too close to his injury and kiss his temple. This she could get used to. In fact she wanted to get used to it. Having him around, knowing that he was safe, it gave her a strange peace and warmth, something she had missed for years. Ever since her mom died.  
Cat's smile vanished thinking of her mother, who wasn't dead after all, who had lied, faked her own death and was involved in such terrible things. She didn't want to think about it, but Cat couldn't stop. Once her mind started racing it was a snowball effect.

Catherine had been tormenting her mind for several minutes, trying to make sense out of everything. Ending up in having more questions than logical resolutions, like asking herself why Connor had helped her and why telling that blond female beast that she was 'her daughter' seemed to change her entire behavior. Was she judging too hard again, without knowing all the facts? Had her mother her own agenda? She had told her that everything she had done, faking her death had been to keep her family safe. It was just the same thing Vincent had done. Cat looked at him, who didn't move at all apart from breathing. He had lost two brothers, but his father still was alive. She knew how hard it was on him to let his Dad believe that he was dead as well, but he had to keep him safe. How could she judge her own mother for doing the same when she knew how dangerous and relentless Muirfield was?  
Catherine's eyes burned and suddenly she felt tired. After ll she had to admit that she had been trough quite some trauma herself, but she never was good in doing so,rather burying herself in cases that needed to be solved. She put away the laptop and suppressed a deep sigh. It started to become dark outside and her sister still wasn't back. However this was nothing new and somehow she believed that Heather was quite safe with JT's colleague.  
Cat got up and closed her sleeping room door, before turning around to close the blinds of her windows, saving up the one of the fire escape to the end. As she got there, facing the glass she gasped and stumbled backwards. Vincent didn't move and he didn't have to: it was Connor sitting at her window and cat had no idea for how long he had been there.  
He just sat there and looked up, his eyes lightly reflecting the yellow light of the lamp on her night table. There was nothing in his expression making her think that he wanted her to open the window, but she did it anyway.  
"Hi", Connor simply said, not smiling but looking down the fire escape again, like he had been watching it for a while. "How is he?"  
Cat was taken by surprise hearing that question.  
"Alive", was her reply after a moment. "Though it was quite … it's rather a miracle", her own words reminded herself of reality.  
"I'm not sure if I would have survived this", Connor nodded, avoiding to look at her. "I'm sorry that I didn't see that coming, I was too distracted…"  
"It wasn't your job to keep him safe", Cat cut him off, trying to comfort him even though she didn't know why.  
"It was", now he looked at her sternly. "Keeping both of you safe and now you are. More or less."  
She frowned.  
"I don't understand", Cat admitted.

By the look in Connor's eyes she could tell that he was pondering if he should continue talking riddles or be blunt, he chose both.  
"There isn't much time", his gaze wandered down again, and his expression was stern, worried. "I know he needs to rest, but I fear that Kara and your mother won't be able to wait for him."  
Catherine shook her head and clenched her jaw. There she was willing to give her Mom the benefit of the doubt and as fate wanted it she already asked for her help, throwing more weight to Vanessa Chandlers advantage.  
"Are you implying that my mother wants to get out of whatever she is in?" she interrogated after a moment of weighing.  
Connor now almost stared at her. At least it felt like it. Looking back at him she realized how strange his eyes looked and wondered if this color was a side effect of whatever treatment he had gone through. Then again Vincent's eyes looked pretty normal.  
"That is why she agreed to come to New York in the first place", he ripped her out of her thoughts, stunning her with his words. "She always refused to come nearer than a hundred miles. I don't know if that is the only reason why she eventually agreed, but Kara and I are afraid that she will change her mind if we don't get her out tonight."  
"So you agreed on helping me because you were planning to get out anyway?" Cat dug deeper.  
"And because you obviously are your mother's daughter", he responded.  
Her facial expression slightly darkened. Maybe Connor had meant this as a compliment but somehow it didn't feel that way. She thought for somr time about it, turning her head towards Vincent who still was sleeping tightly, not moving, just breathing.  
"Well you have to wait for another night", she eventually decided facing Connor again. "I won't risk him. For no one."  
Determination was carved into her features and her opposite sighed downheartedly.  
"If we get her out, we will have to plan accurately", Cat continued. "We will have to make sure that Doc is not distracted but occupied for some time. As long as he believes that he is in a better position…."  
"He is already pissed off because I betrayed him. That was something he didn't expect", Connor cut her off. "Sooner or later he will believe that your mother is the reason for my betrayal and it will becoem more difficult to get her out."  
"So why did you help me and not Kara?" Catherine shrugged.  
"Because she is the biggest trump we have."

Catherine pondered a moment about what kind of ace that blond might be, but she was too unnerved to really give it a try.  
"And why is that?" her growing impatience peeked through her tone and by the way Connor looked at her again, she could tell that he wouldn't answer her question, which annoyed her even more.  
"So you want me to trust you, to go on a crusade to save a mother who let me believe that she was dead for ten years, who pretty much showed me in less than a day that she isn't the woman II grew up to admire", she summarized, yet much to her surprise this guy's expression didn't change a bit and he didn't comment on her words as well.  
Cat sighed deeply and checked briefly on Vincent, before she continued: "Fine. She's your trump, I get it, but why do you trust me to help you when you're not trusting me enough to illuminate your plans to me?"  
"I trust your mother", he responded calmly. "And you are just like her. You have the same sense for people and that is why you knew that you could trust me and that I was good enough to carry your boyfriend wherever needed."  
Connor almost grinned snarkily now, but she didn't really noticed it.  
"So my mother told you that you could trust me, that I would help?" she wondered.  
"That you both would", the expression had faded to nothing again and nodded into Vincent's direction.  
"I don't understand", Cat shook her head. "Not at all. Why would she expect me to help her after what has happened? Why would you? Why would she leave her … him?"  
"It's not my place to tell you and I'm sure that I would tell it wrong anyway", he got up from the knelling position and she followed him. "All I can tell you is that this wasn't supposed to happen. All of it."  
She swallowed dryly remembering his reaction as he noticed that there had been something in the seemingly untouched water bottle earlier today. Apparently Doc was out of his usual behavior, there was no other explanation for her to all of this.  
"So if you have a plan that you simply don't want to tell me", she said lowly. "At least guarantee me that my sister will not be drawn into this. If she finds out that our mother still lives, if she will put in harms way because Doc wants to make her his …"  
"I intent to kill him", Connor cut her off and his glance gave her the chills. "And that is a part of the plan only you know. I do trust you, but to make sure that this plan works Michael Donovan has to believe that we aren't working together."  
Cat blinked. Had he told her that name on purpose?

There was nothing in his behavior that let to any conclusion for Cat.  
"With some luck he will try to get me first", Connor frowned a little, as if he was thinking intensely. "He won't look here since his influence isn't that big that he could just march into this house and abduct you. And he won't expect him to be here."  
Both of them looked at Vincent now, who still was unhealthily pale.  
"Kara will check on you tomorrow", Connor added and intended to move as Cat placed her hand on his upper arm.  
"She was the one that called JT?" it was asking for the obvious, like looking for glasses that already sat on one's nose."Yes", Connor answered nonetheless - she couldn't tell if he chose not to jump into the conversation about his partner or if his simply was that ignorant.  
"What's her story?" Cat wanted to know.  
"It's not my place to tell", with that the young man swung himself up to the next level across the handrail.  
"Okay then", was everything she could answer to that, before she closed the window, asking herself if there would ever be a time when things didn't get worse.  
Hopefully Doc or Michael Donovan wasn't part of a secret organisation like Muirfield even though he had let her to believe that they were working together again. So maybe that was the reason for her mother to leave? But even with Doc down and her Mum free would her family not be in danger for her being off Muirfiled's hook? And since when was she able to shrug off a possible murder?  
Another sigh escaped her throat and she rubbed her eyes. Why hadn't she seen him coming? Die he know the locations of the cameras so well? Probably just like Vincent. Still it was making her uncomfortable and she got back to her side of the small bed. A glance on her cell told her that her sister hadn't send a message, which suddenly worried her. Quickly she send a text herself and kept on staring onto her display even though Heather wasn't known for replying fast.  
"Are you okay?" Vincent's question was rather a murmur, however he was awake and concerned, as he cautiously and slowly rolled onto his back.  
"Yes", was Cat's reply and she wasn't lying - at least not about her physical condition.  
The look he gave her made it obvious that he knew. Her attempt to roll her eyes ended disastrously in a flushed smile, which he had to mirror. A slight twitch ran through his body as he forgot about his injury for the blink of an eye and tried to lean onto the wrong side.  
"Hey, don't move", Cat put her cell on the night table and placed her hand onto his chest so that he did what he was told.

Placing his own hand onto hers was an unconscious reaction, putting his wingers around the back of her hand however wasn't. Catherine could read in his expression that he thought about what had happened again. If someone had mastered torturing oneself with guilt it was Vincent. Not that he hadn't any reason to feel devastatingly bad about more or less ravishing her, but he just left a few facts out of the equation.  
Cat opened her mouth to say something or him to feel better but somehow she felt that there wasn't anything that he would accept. So she simply bent down, cautiously trying not to put any pressure onto his wounded side, and kissed him gently. She knew that he would barley reply the kiss, because he felt that he didn't deserve it, but she didn't care, pressing her lips onto his more tightly instead.  
Vincent's wasn't able to resist that, even less when Catherine freed her hand to bring it up to his face, cupping his scarred cheek gently. He needed to dig his hand into her hair in order to stop her, but unfortunately that blink of an eye moment was too long, since she renewed her kiss, brushing her lips across his, retracing those lines with her tongue. Vincent pulled her closer and winced as he made her press her body against his, heightening the pressure onto her side. Instantly Catherine brought space between them: "Sorry."  
"It wasn't your fault", he replied rapidly.  
"But I started it", she gave back and smiled a growing smile. "I should have been more careful."  
Vincent knew immediately that Catherine didn't just mean what had happened right now. His jaw clenched and he looked up at her sternly, not really agreeing with her.  
"You can say that it shouldn't have happened and I would agree with you", Cat responded, supporting herself on her elbow as she brushed with her fingertips across his cheek again. "If you were … not that different."  
"Being what I am is no excuse", he dissented and his lips formed a thin line, just like his frown created a wrinkle between his brows.  
"No, but it explains what happened", Cat replied. "And apart from that. If you weren't different, would you still feel bad about it?" She tilted her head as she asked this. "Or would you rather say, that since I didn't fight it wasn't wrong?"

Vincent blinked in slight confusion, but she made him think this through. If it hadn't been for the stuff Doc had given her, he probably wouldn't have reacted like this, but on the other hand if they had been dating for a longer time… He inhaled sharply. Catherine misinterpreted this tension for her hurting him as she checked out his bandage that was covering the wound where the bullet had entered.  
"Sorry", she gasped out as her hand flinched back.  
"No, it wasn't that", Vincent responded, trying to breath evenly to not expose what he just had been thinking about.  
"I'll just change sides", Cat smiled reassuringly and switched out the light, before she unexpectedly slid one of her legs across his, instead of leaving the bed and walk around.  
There really wasn't any intention behind her action, but once she looked down to Vincent, straddling his lap without touching him, she couldn't withstand the need to lean down and kiss him, while enfolding his face with her hands. This time he responded immediately placing his hands onto her hips, which made her automatically lower them down to hers so that his palms slid up and beneath her top. The air seemed liquid as they both sucked it in hastily. His hands brushed up her back, forcing her to lower down to him, supporting herself onto her left arm which she brought down next to his side.  
Catherine sensed how he flinched again and stopped kissing him pulling her head back to look into his eyes, checking on him. Still he hadn't moved his hands from her back and his rough palms on her soft skin was an exciting good feeling.  
"Are you okay?" she asked huskily with flushed cheeks, noticing that nothing about his appearance had changed, apart from a faint golden glow in his eyes.  
Apparently he was searching for the right words and he frowned again. Maybe it was the pain or it was doubt. Cat couldn't tell but she was tired of worrying: "I'm not starting to tell you that I want this and that it's okay. I'm not afraid of you, you know", her smirk was to tease him. "And you should know right now that I'm pretty well at expressing myself if I don't want something happening to me."  
His answer weren't words but he brought one of his hands from her back to her face, brushing a strain of hair away from her cheek, so that he could cup it. His face was almost without any expression, before his grip slightly tightened and he pulled her mouth back onto his.

His movement took her off guard, but Cat wasn't taken aback. However she involuntary crashed down on him. Chest against chest, lap against lap. This time him exhaling sharply definitely was due to the pain, but he didn't let her move anywhere but closer to him.  
Catherine could feel the skin of his stomach against her own, since he had moved her top upwards having one hand on her bare back. A hot wave rushed through her veins, making her breathe out feverishly against his mouth, as she looked at him. Vincent glanced back with widened pupils, the brown of his eyes slowly yielding to gold. If anyone would ask her why watching this was so arousing to her she wouldn't be able to explain.  
Just as she wanted to bend down to taste his lips again, Cat felt his hands at the rim of her top and without thinking she straightened up, so that he could pull it off easier. His hands brushing up her back from her tail-bone left a trail of goose bumps and she felt cold against his hot skin as she pressed her chest against his, instantly closing her eyes, breathing out once more, before she tilted her head to meet his mouth again.  
Vincent's palms and fingers were so soft and gently as he moved them down again, much slower as Catherine could bear. Still there was nothing she could do about it but tease him with her lips and her tongue. However she wasn't able to be playful. She felt like she was picking up right where they had left off, just as if nothing had happened in between. Wherever his fingers touched her he was heating her up, making her press herself against him. And then his hands where back at her tail bone again, moving further down to her tush.  
Cat couldn't help but smirk while exhaling into his mouth as she felt Vincent's arousal that she had seen in his eyes just before. Was she heating up more again or had the temperature of this room dropped dramatically? The blanket wasn't covering either her or him, but both couldn't care less. Much less as she grind her lap against his, stealing a groan from his mouth that made her hair stand up straight.  
When Vincent's hands moved up again, they were faster and slightly more roughly, but she didn't mind at all, quite the opposite. Gently she nipped his lower lip, teasing him again, forcing him to exhale sharply because of her movements, knowing that he couldn't simply flip her around, because of his injury. Once more she had to grin against his lips.

Vincent's breath suddenly turned shallow and his movements lessened, making Catherine to stop and look at him, trying to figure out by his expression what was wrong. Either he had heard something, or he was in too much pain. None of both possibilities was something she was looking forward to and judging from his glance it seemed to be both.  
The door of the apartment was getting unlocked in a way that even Cat could hear it, which apparently meant that Heather was returning home. This wasn't really a reason to be alarmed but Vincent still tensed beneath her s she quickly lessened the pressure her weight was causing to his torso and with that to his injuries. She watched him inhale cautiously. Not even the fact that he was hurt lessened her need to be close to him to feel him, which was why she had sat up instead from moving off.  
"Catherine", he whispered, torn, his hands back at her hips.  
"I know", she exhaled lowly and bent down to gently kiss him, while she brought her right leg to her left at his healthy side.  
Her hand rested on his cheeks as she moved and kissed him, feeling his right in her hair.  
"I'm sorry", he murmured against her lips, which she couldn't tear away that easily like the rest of her needing body.  
"For what? Almost getting killed because of me?" Cat responded softly.  
His mouth formed a smirk beneath hers and she brushed her hand down from his face across his chest, slowing down to savor the sensation of his muscles beneath her fingertips. She wasn't unaware to him trying to breathe calm and that was most certainly the issue while they couldn't simply continue what they had started, even though they both obviously longed for it. And then she reminded herself, speaking out her thoughts, making her lips graze across his: "I think I'm trying to completely ignore the fact that I almost lost you."  
Looking into Vincent's eyes Catherine noticed that they were back to their warm brown again, which didn't disappoint her. The movement to grab the blanket and pull it back up to cover them both gave her another opportunity to feel his skin against hers and she tried not to have a too bad conscience for making him tense again.  
"You brought me back, you know", Vincent whispered almost inaudibly. "I heard you."

Catherine was lost for words and stunned as she heard Vincent saying that. Yet it was only a moment, two heart beats until she smiled at him, enfolding his face in both of her hands. "I know", she whispered, before she kissed him gently. "I felt it. I knew you weren't gone."  
"Let's just not do this again", Vincent joked halfheartedly as Cat allowed him to breathe, parting from his lips.  
"Definitely not", she answered sincerely and a little over acting.  
They looked at each other for a little too long until they felt the cool air creeping between their skins.  
"We should get some sleep", Catherine stated and Vincent just nodded in agreement, a tiny smile dancing around the corners of his mouths as he didn't take his eyes off hers.  
The blinds were letting in just enough light for her to see him in shades of blue while he on the other hand could see her perfectly with his night vision, hence he was staring at her shamelessly as she moved further down beneath the blanked and snuggled up at his side. He cleared his throat and watched her looking up at him.  
"Uh," Vincent didn't really know how to put this and even though Catherine wasn't able to actually see him blush slightly, she could hear his embarrassment in his voice. "Do you want your top back?"  
"Might come in handy", she chuckled down her own and sat up again, fishing for it in the dark since she knew that moving his left arm had to hurt, but still he handed it over to her, placing it directly into her palm.  
Either she was oblivious to the fact that he had night vision or counting on it, Cat took her time to put the pajama top back on. Then she robbed bat to his side, feeling his arm at her back as he placed it around her.  
"You need none?" she asked as she realized that her cheek touched his bare skin, which seemed to be much warmer than her own.  
"I'm fine", Vincent's tone seemed to be both: husky and sleepy and somehow it was the most wonderful sound in the whole wide world to her, making her grin like a school girl after her crush talking to her for the first time. There was no chance to swallow down a brief chuckle and knowing that he wouldn't be able to ignore it she sighed and whispered: "I could get used to this", emphasizing the last word.  
"Me too", Vincent answered definitely sleepy now.

The night had fallen in quickly and as he walked down the street the collar of his jacket hiding his face Connor placed his hand into his pockets. he didn't know this city good enough to feel comfortably walking on the streets, but being obvious and one of the crowd was safer than going underground. He knew that Doc was after him, that Doctor Michael Donovan would do everything to hunt him down now, letting Vincent, Catherine and her mother slip out of his focus. Connor had experienced that man's temper once or twice to know that it could lightly consume him, even without Kara's stories about him. Trying to keep his facial expression calm and friendly so that the people he passed would simply ignore him, he reminded himself to keep his eyes down, not to turn around or stop. He had no idea where he was going, but as he had seen Heather enter the apartment building he knew that this had been his signal to odd thing was who was with her in that moment. He had seen her before and Connor remembered that the tall woman was Catherine Chandler's partner. But that woman had been with her and Vincent Keller when they returned. So did Tess Vargas secretly watch over them? It was maybe just instinct, however he had started to follow her to her car, but seeing no choice for being able to run after a car, he had decided to keep on going and turned away. As he entered a small side street he suddenly noticed steps behind him and he scolded himself for being too much in thought to have heard them earlier. Connor stopped the second as he heard that well known click.  
"For being someone like you are you really aren't stealthy or alertly at all", he heard her voice and fought his grin as he lifted his hands and turned around: "Maybe because I didn't feel threatened", was his reply.  
Tess cocked one brow and hid her own amusement, since it wouldn't quite fit the gun in her hand aiming at him.  
"Thanks for locking us in by the way", she responded icily.  
"It was the only way to buy you time", Connor shrugged still with his hands up in the air, though he seemed to be pretty relaxed about this position.  
"Sure", Tess gave back, knowing that he was right from what Evan had said about the room and it's own ventilator system, still she didn't want to show him that she wasn't a threat to him - just like he thought. "What were you doing at Cat's apartment again?"

Connor tilted his head slightly almost as if he was eyeballing her, yet his expression was stern. There wasn't any hint that he was impressed by Tess pointing a gun at him, even though as a cop she would most likely be able to kill him with on bullet if she wanted to. Then again he wasn't entirely human and a thought crawled into her mind that made a shiver run down her spine: what if he was fast enough to notice her pulling the trigger and would be able to dodge? What if her instinct her reflexes were to slow if he decided to attack her? Tess narrowed her eyes. Maybe he wanted her to think into that direction to that she would doubt about herself.  
"I was checking in", he eventually responded to her question. "On both. To see if they were okay and to ask for their help." Slowly he lowered his hands and Tess stayed calm, not moving, not changing her or her weapon's position. "I don't know how much you know about all of this, but I figure that it's not as much as you need to." His hands - which looked pretty damn human to Tess - were still slightly lifted, palms facing her, just like she was the beast that needed to be tamed. In any other situation she definitely would have smirked, not now.  
"Obviously", was her only comment to his words, telling him that she expected him to spill a little bit of information.  
"I'm not sure if I am the right person to tell you everything, Detective", Connor let his hands drop to his side and straightened up slightly, pulling back his shoulders to ease up his back, even though the barrel was still pointing at him.  
"Who would be the right person then? Your boss?" Tess gave back.  
She didn't take any efforts in hiding her annoyance, not even trying to have any effect on this half man half animal cross breed in front of her. Still her thoughts trailed off again, towards Cat and Vincent. She had seen him for what he was and that wasn't evil. He was the major victim o a crime against nature and right in front of her maybe another one.  
"If you mean Michael Donovan", Connor answered making her focus jump back to him. "He's the one in charge officially, but not my boss and that's the thing: she wants out and my friend … my comrade and I want to help her get out, because we owe her."  
"Owe her what?" Tess instantly dug deeper.  
"Freedom", he made a step towards her, but she didn't retreat or flinch. "Of our minds."

Tess was repeating the name Connor had told her over and over again in her head. She would definitely look that one up even though she could tell that he would be either be officially dead or a sealed file. Maybe even both. With a little luck there also might be a hint on that woman who wanted out of whatever they all were in.  
"Okay, who is she?" Tess demanded to know, even though she had figured out that he didn't want to tell her and in fact all he did was shaking his head, not even saying something to underline this gesture.  
"So is this some black ops government project or …?" she still tried to get more information out of him, since everything could be helpful, forgetting about the fact that he was slowly stepping closer despite her having the gut.  
"You should stay out of this", Connor cut her off. "Right now you're nothing more than Catherine's partner to them. There's not just Doc and his facility, there's more and they are more powerful than him. If they feel threatened they just exterminate that threat and continue."  
Tess stretched her jaw without opening her moth hearing this. It was one thing trying to worry her and another if it was a honest warning, even more when he continued approaching her.  
"Freeze", it was merely a whisper of a hoarse voice, still Connor obeyed, bringing up his hands halfway in defense.  
When she noticed he was potentially standing to close it was already too late as Tess intended to step back. Using her retreat to leap forward he grabbed her gun by placing his balm onto the barrel pushing it away from him before he twisted it out of her grip. Realizing that she would lose her weapon Cat's partner let go of it instantly fading into attack. Since Connor still had his right arm lifted for taking her gun she punched his ribs right below it, making him flinch. That hadn't really been the reaction she was hoped for however he stepped back, though he didn't let go of her gun. Kicking for for the leg he was supporting himself on, Tess made him stumble, but not lose balance. So she grabbed the wrist of that hand which was holding her weapon, swirling her back towards his chest and aimed for his face with the elbow of her free he was quicker, holding of her hit with his unassigned lower arm.

This right now was the moment Tess realized that despite her skills Connor wasn't someone she was able to hold a candle to on. Before she was able to attack him once more with her free arm he already had slid his beneath hers and brought his hand to her neck, pinning her arm and shoulder into a position which made it impossible to use. Instinctively she let go of his wrist and attempted to twist herself out of his grip, but again he was faster, catching her hand and increasing the pressure on her neck and shoulder, so that she hat to arch her back, while bending down to avoid getting something broken. The metallic sound of her gun dropping on concrete was the only noise for one heartbeat. Connor's grip was made out of iron and he pushed her down slightly, slowly, making her crouch a little and gasp for air as a tensing pain rushed trough her limbs.  
"I don't want to hurt you", he said with a strange sound in his voice, not even the slightest bit out of breath.  
"Too late", Tess huffed, trying not to move for not increasing the ache further.  
She wasn't afraid, just pissed at her self and her damaged pride.  
"Well I don't want to hurt you more", he corrected himself and even though she wasn't able to see him she could hear him shrug.  
"So why don't you let go of me then?" Tess asked, breathing shallowly.  
"Because I don't trust you to go for your gun again", Connor responded - his voice back to normal. "It will take just a few seconds. Be patient."  
His words made her frown but she understood quickly: he was making her sore and therefore even slower than she already was compared to him. The ache in her muscles would make it definitely difficult to move fast and become a threat again.  
"I know you can't trust me and I won't ask for it", Connor continued. "I'm just asking for the benefit of the doubt and for believing in people being not black and white."  
Tess let his words sink in before she responded: "Believe me I know plenty shades of gray and I'm not speaking of the novel."  
Suddenly she was free. After two blinks to realize that she straitened up and slowly turned around, leaving her gun on the ground right next to her. Yet that wasn't important, because she was alone. When she would only rely on her eyes.

Tess figured inhumanly fast or not Connor would have been able to vanish into thin air, at least not inaudibly. So she leaned down to grab her gun slowly and put it back into its holster.  
"So is this now some sort of creation rising against its creator?" sha asked into the poorly enlightened side street, looking up the falls where she could find fire escapes and walked further down.  
"Sort of", his voice was much closer than she had her head back he sat right above her on the rim of a bricked window, almost completely swallowed by its shadow, still Tess knew that he was grinning.  
"So your boss who wants out is not your creator?", she would let the chance of getting more information slip through her hands.  
"You really should talk to your partner about all of this", was the unsatisfying answer and Tess made no bones about is, giving him her typical look when she wasn't impressed, slightly annoyed, and about to roll her eyes.  
"I don't want her to chop my head off because I dragged you into this", he added quickly. "Listen. I mean no harm, but I can't get the two of them out and away on my own. And you should stay out of this for your own safety."  
"How can we know that this isn't just another trick to lurk both of them into a trap again?" Tess asked and apparently Connor had no quick response to that.  
So he leaned down towards her, giving her the opportunity to look into his strangely colored eyes and she asked herself if he was aware of how they distracting they were.  
"If you're not a part of it there's no we", he said lowly holding his glance.

"I already told you that I am not leaving", Sarah sighed slightly unnerved by the ongoing discussion, holding her tea mug in both of her hands, as she sat at her kitchen table, while she watches JT pacing up and down.  
There was chance thinking of sleep when her boyfriend was freaking out.  
"Nothing will happen to me, I am sure of it", she said calmly. "Now breathe in deeply and relax. You alerted Tom and you know how he is, it's like a kid looking for its birthday and Christmas presents. If something is out of the ordinary you'll be the first to know."  
JT eventually stopped and looked at her as if she had spoken magical words to shoo away the big bad wolf - at least for a second. However he did as she told him and placed his hand on the chair down opposite to her, before he hesitated: "There isn't by any chance beer in the fridge?"

Sarah looked at him with a soft gaze and a smile grew on her lips and like always she managed to distract him completely. JT looked back at her as if he had forgotten pretty much everything that had messed up his head for the last hours. This wasn't anything new to him, it had been like that since the first time she had looked like him on her first day on campus. There were so many tiny things he loved about her and he probably would never manage to sum them all up, but right now as Sarah made him smile slightly, felling how his heart made this certain jump right before he blushed because of her, JT remembered the very first of them all: no one wasn't worth a smile.  
Since day one she had a smile for everyone that crossed her path and for many this was something unusual, most definitely for him. She had startled him, and confused him into thinking that they knew each other, what he instantly had asked her. Her wonderful laughter that had followed to his innocent question had stolen his heart. Yet with having Vincent around and Muirfield in the shadows JT never had dared to pursue his feelings so they became somewhat friends, even though he tried to avoid it. Until Catherine showed up. Maybe this secretly was the reason why that righteous cop woman had grown on him.  
"So I guess you're staying?" Sarah asked softly, ripping him out of his memories and back into reality; the reality of her peaceful apartment which was such a complete opposite to his loft.  
"Since you are staying, I will to", his answer sounded more playful than he had intended but since she chuckled lowly, he didn't mind at all.  
JT turned around to open the fridge which was so clean, new and orderly that he was reminded to buy a new one again and let out a sigh. He jumped slightly as he felt two hands on his chest which had sneaked through beneath his arms as Sarah pecked his cheek from behind. Exhaling in slight relieved he placed one of his hands on hers, before he got out a bottle and shut the fridge again.  
"You know I thought about this", she placed her chin on his shoulder. "I'm sure Tom well be into this too. We could finance your property with some research funds, as part of the campus. Like that you could enhance the security system as part of Tom's lessons. As part of the public system it would also become more difficult to enter for whoever is after Vincent."  
JT blinked, before he was able to answer: "And for him to hide."  
"I'm not sure about that", Sarah doubted, why he reluctantly turned around and out of her grasp. "Everyone who knows him is threatened. I figured that", she shrugged. "But what if too many people know him? They can't erase an entire campus. If students knew him as … say janitor of the place…."  
JT definitely was speechless.  
"And you could move in with me", she added with a smile, catching the bottle that he was about to drop.

Tess managed to step back from beneath the rim above her and bring enough space between them that she felt comfortable. However her shoulders still ached, reminding her of Connor being easily able to overpower her in an instant. And right now he had shown her as well how fast he was. She knew that she should be more than alerted. If Connor chose to attack her she probably wouldn't even be able to touch her gun. Still his only hostile action against her had been trying to get rid of her weapon, but was this enough to give him the benefit of the doubt?  
"Look", he broke the silence that awkwardly had grown between the two of them and gave her a smile that somehow reminded her of a cougar. "I bet you will have to rise early tomorrow. So if you really want to talk about this the whole time meet me here at 8 pm."  
"And what about your revolution?" Tess gave back crooking one brow.  
"Doesn't start until 10 pm", Connor smirked now.  
Cat's partner just looked back at him in confusion.  
"There's a lot of explaining to do and if I start, something tells me that you'll just continue to ask and I'm much more talkative than I usually am", he continued an apparently realized just for himself what he was telling her.  
Tess had no idea what she should say to that.  
"Either you'll be here or your partner and Keller", he added almost too quickly. "Or the three of you, but I think we both know that she won't want you to be involved."  
"Why do you think you know my partner that much?" Tess frowned now. "She doesn't know you, does she."  
"No, but I …", Connor cut himself off, preventing to spill some information that he rather left to Catherine to tell. "I've had my experience." he continued instead, but Tess was already suspicious.  
The way she glared at him right now he could watch her mind work and somehow he knew that she would figure it out sooner or later. Better he kept his mouth shut right now, he couldn't quite understand himself why he had continued this conversation in the first place. Just when he was about to jump off the rim and leave, Tess spoke again: "She knows either your comrade your the woman who wants out."  
Connor wasn't sure if she really had addressed him or just thinking out loud, so he didn what he originally had planned.  
"Her mother was involved in all this, but she's dead", she proceeded and he made the mistake to instinctively stop.  
"She's alive?!"  
Closing his eyes he let his shoulders sink but didn't turn around. Now was the time to do what he could do best: keep his mouth shut, staying silent and do what had to be done. In this case: leaving.


	12. Human

◊ Chapter 12 ◊ Human ◊ R

When Catherine opened her eyes she was laying in her bed just like she was used to: on her side, facing towards the doors of bath and living room. It was as quiet as it possibly ever was in the morning. Apart from that her arms felt unusually cool, because there weren't any sleeves covering them. In that moment she realized that something else was missing, or rather someone. Blinking in confusion she almost doubted that anything she remembered had even happened, until she realized what had woken her up when Vincent stepped outside the bathroom.  
Still he had no shirt on and Cat couldn't help but stare, talking herself that she just needed to take a look at his injuries, not that it was him and not her with the medical knowledge. The bruises seemed completely gone and the cuts were mere scabs.  
"How's the shot wound?" she asked with a hoarse voice and got up on her which reminded her of being topless herself.  
Instantly blood rushed into her face, but luckily Vincent looked at his injury, turning his side towards her as he did so, for her to take a checking glance. As his eyes fell on her again, he had adjusted the blanked and tried to look at the bright red tissue blankly, but her cheeks still were calling bluff.  
"That looks … pretty good for being shot ten hours ago", Catherine managed to bring out and quickly lowered her gaze as Vincent sucked at his lower lip to prevent himself from smirking.  
"Yeah", he simply agreed and stepped towards her, rubbing the last remains of water from mis clammy hands. "Still hurts though."  
"And I guess you are hungry, right?" she almost fell into his word.  
Catherine had no idea why she was so shaky all of the sudden, so tense and insecure. It wasn't like this was the first time she had seen him like this. Definitely the first time that she wore nothing that her pajama pants and he nothing but his boxers. Thinking of that her eyes widened a bit and she stared onto the bed, feeling herself blush again as she panicky tried not to look _there_.  
"Are you okay?" Vincent asked and in his voice lay a mixture of worry and amusement, as if he wasn't sure his thoughts were right.  
His question made her look up at him and if he hadn't known it better she would have seemed helpless to him. What followed was nothing less than a surprise. Cat leaped onto her feet and wrapped her arms wound his neck, kissing him desperately. The blanket that had been so important slid down her body completely forgotten. After a shocking second he placed his arms around her back and held her close cautiously. His injury did hurt more than he would admit to her.

Vincent tried not to flinch as Catherine, who stood at the rim of her bed, tightened her embrace. Instead he responded less effusively but not less eagerly. He could feel her ribs beneath his cool fingers at he slid his hands across her hot skin and how he created goose bumps on it, making her slightly shiver just by touching her. Breathing was much easier than the night before but still it was shallow rather due restriction than because of what he felt having her that close, sensing her bare skin on his.  
Catherine quickly notices his restraint and reluctantly pulled her lips away to look into his eyes, placing her hands on his cheeks, without stepping back and breaking the contact.  
"I'd say you better go back to bed and I make us some breakfast", she suggested after deciding not to repeat her question if he was alright.  
Even with him being something different than human still he almost had been dead, maybe even had been dead for some moments. Now was not the time to treat him differently than she had done before. Genetically altered or not: Vincent still was human.  
As she eventually tried to turn away, looking for her top there was no chance for moving an inch. Although his hold on her was merely a touch, she was caught in it. Instantly her heart started racing realizing that he had continued to stare on her lips, how his muscles twitched slightly. This faint golden glow was back in Vincent's eyes. The eternal second of her thoughts pacing was over as he kissed her again and Catherine was the last one to fight it.  
Bringing her hands to the back of his head, she couldn't help but press herself against his quickly scalding skin, while their mouths merged with each other. His fingers were leaving trails of ice along her spine as he moved his hands up between her shoulders and to the back of her head, sinking into her hair. Stepping as close as possible she could faintly feel the wooden rim of the bed cutting into her soles; but this didn't matter right now. She wouldn't even think of breathing if their mouths wouldn't separate instinctively, sucking in each other's air.

Catherine stepped back from the edge and gently pulled Vincent with her. A smirk forming on her lips as she bent her knees, forcing him to follow her down. Suddenly he flinched and froze making her frown, but the reason was revealed just afterwards.  
"Heading out!" Heather almost shouted in a melody. "I'm at Tom's."  
As the older, reasonable one Cat was taken aback, cocking one brow in deprecation, but then again her younger sister old enough and they would be alone with no one to disturb them. The noise of a door falling into its lock took the decision of going after her out of her hands.  
Looking back at Vincent she could see a slight exertion in his expression, which reminded her again that he should rest.  
"You should…", Cat said reluctantly, trying to give in to reason.  
"Yeah", he exhaled and let go off her, to support himself as he lay down on the bed and quickly covered himself with a blanket, while Cat turned around, fishing for her top.  
Vincent avoided to watch her, even though his eyes were disobeying him. After all Catherine was kneeling on the bed, being unable to find the piece of clothing she was looking for - simply because she was searching the wrong side. With a sigh she turned around; her gaze fell on him trying hard not to look at her since she still was bare-chested. Cat pressed her lips together biting them on the inside, suppressing a grin, but it didn't help much. She couldn't even pull the blanket up since Vincent needed it for hiding.  
"I'm sorry", she brought out with a hoarse voice, straddling his legs, seemingly to move to the other side of the bed.  
It didn't really matter if it had been planned or was simply spontaneous that she moved towards him instead of away, ending up in lowering her mouth to his again. Just a heartbeat later his slightly rough hands had returned to their place: between her shoulder blades and the back of her head, clawing into her hair, as they breathed each other's air.  
"I'm sorry", she murmured into his mouth.  
"Me too", he replied, brushing down his lower hand to her tail bone, gently forcing her hips down against his own.

The fact that now there was a comforter separating them only came into Catherine's mind as she felt the fabric rubbing against her skin, as she lowered herself further down; the stitching was grazing. However it barely lessened the exciting pressure in her lap as Vincent's hand pushed her pelvis against his crotch, and the air out of her lungs. How sh loved feeling his hand in her hand, holding her like that while kissing her as if he was thirsty for her lips. How could such soft lips like his be so keen? Even without Vincent moving slightly below her, the way he melted his lips into hers, how he sucked her in was intoxicating enough to make her feel lightheaded. Now her body had no idea if it should be hot or cold, leaving her completely numb to everything else but him.  
Catherine's speeding up heartbeat mixed itself with the rushing noise of his pulse in his ears; and her breath sounded as if it was his own. Her hot breath washed across his face like steam smothering him with a cloud of her scent. His heart was turning somersault. Vincent could feel the Beast clawing inside of him, but the pulsating ache in his side somehow held it back. What an odd irony this was, since often it was pain that made him beast out. So he breathed in deeply to the point the pain increased and beyond it, tensing up slightly, arching up his hips against Cat just a little. Luckily she was too distracted to notice him hurting and her low moan into his mouth ran across him like her hands across the blanket between them.  
Catherine's fingers grabbed the rim of the fabric and pushed herself up just enough to pull it downwards. She had to move and bring space between them, which was the only downside of removing this obstacle. She wasn't really thinking about what she was doing; her body worked on her own and her eyes clung to his. They watched each others like predators circling each other, hiding their roguish smirks behind feverish glances.

Catherine let out an almost inaudible sigh after she had tossed away that unnerving comforter and slid downwards again, slowly stretching her elbows, sensing his now hot skin against hers. Still she supported herself enough on her left arm holding most of her weight, so that she could brush her palm across his left side from below his ribcage to the spot where the bullet had entered. Vincent involuntary flinched. Cat bit her lower lip in response.  
Nothing of his expression however told her to stop and so she moved her hand further touching the fascinatingly quick healed wound that was now covered with soft appreciably warmer scar tissue. Even though she noticed that Vincent held his breath she didn't pull back her fingers but covered the healing injury with her hand. It might be imagination but somehow she thought she could feel his body working beneath her hand, regenerating, pulsating. It was odd, almost scary.  
It was Vincent's hand at her back that pulled her back down to him and her out of her thoughts. As their mouths met again that needy tension spread inside her again like a wildfire consuming everything in its path. Cat lowered her hips again as she sucked on his lips, brushing that hand up to his face, spreading fingers to enfold it as much as possible. Once single move of her pelvis made the fire inside her jump to her head, feeling Vincent's reaction to her. He gasped for air, his other hand at her lover back again.  
When it moved to her hips Catherine almost was afraid that he would push her away again. But the cold jolt quickly burnt differently as his fingers continued to explore her stomach. She lost the ability to breathe evenly, even to kiss him like before. Their lips barely touched now as she inhaled shallowly though her open mouth with eyes closed, trying to keep herself together sensing his cool fingers grazing softly across her skin and up, slowly, inevitably. Much too slow, yet much to quick.  
Vincent watched her expression, every reaction to his movement. He couldn't tell what was more fascinating, or arousing. The way she shivered, just waiting for him to continue or in expectation, the way he could hear and feel her racing pulse, or how she pressed herself against him, holding still completely.

Somehow it seemed that everything cooled down despite that spot where he touched her. Catherine could sense how the warmth fled her skin quickly as his hand moved further. She couldn't help but tremble as his right hand left the nape of her neck, moving down her spine to her side, joining his right at her ribcage. There was no way withstanding that tension as Vincent simply stopped. A flash of understanding shot through her mind. As long as he determined the pace, as long as he was in control, the Beast would be controlled as well. Catherine was more than fine with that. At least for now. Still she had to break her own unbearable tension and she brought back her opened mouth to his, joining their tongued. She could almost feel the beast rearing inside him when she did that.  
However Vincent did exactly what she had hoped for and brushed his hands upwards, kissing her back in the same ravishing manner until she pulled back just slightly, catching her breath, as he cupped her breast tenderly. A wave of goose bumps ran down her spine and just like sher skin was burning cold her insides seemed to melt into liquid fire. No one ever had been able to make her feel like that, not even close, not even in that short amount of time.  
Catherine's erratic breath, her hammering pulse, the heat radiating off of her, onto him it had not only an intoxicating effect on him, but onto his other side as well. It growled inside him, demanding him to let it out. Vincent breathed in deeply, again beyond where his injury was faintly piercing painfully. It helped, yet he didn't dare to ask himself to what point. Her soft skin in his palms were too distracting, yanking his attention back to her, just as she crushed her mouth back to his. Vincent his had do lightly move his hands, caressing her skin, her breasts and eventually her nipples. She froze, suppressing a sound. Which caused a much stronger reaction in him than a noise probably would have done. There was no choice that Catherine not notice it. Her response was as cruel as his treatment before, pressing her crotch against his swollen one. And now it was him who caught his moan before it could break free.  
Breathing in the air was frozen. Breathing out it was on fire.

There was no doubt, no way out and it wouldn't make any difference if she said it out loud or not. Catherine wasn't sure if he held himself back on purpose to torment her or because of guilt for what happened the last time. Yet just as quick as these thoughts formed themselves in her head, they vanished into thin air just in the same way.  
"I want you", she breathed out, opening her eyes, searching for an reaction in his, which slightly had changed color; and she knew that he was aware of that, so she smiled with her mouth opened.  
Vincent stopped moving; he didn't freeze just stopped as if he wasn't sure what to do or if they should go there, but Catherine let him no choice, taking him buy surprise as she moved away from him, and downwards. Panic and desire created a chaotic cocktail in his body and mind preventing him from thinking quick and straight. He barely noticed her hands at the rim of his boxers. All it took was a swift move, still she didn't dare to take a look - not just because she was afraid that she would need too much time - it was more important to get rid of her own pants. Sliding back onto her bed Vincent had halfway gathered himself placing one hand on her shoulder and Catherine already knew.  
"No", she simply denied, almost harshly, "no", she repeated smiling, softly forcing his arm down with her as she allowed her fingers to wander down his chest to his stomach, caressing every muscle on her way down.  
She didn't return to her former position - not yet - but lay down next to him. Since she was too small for kissing him and proceeding with what she intended to do Cat simply started to stroke her lips across his chest, being genuinely surprised that it was her now who created goose bumps. Vincent's body tensed and twitched slightly beneath her touches and it made her smile. He was holding still, maybe because he was too busy with containing the beast, maybe to allow her playing out her game. As war as she could tell it would be both.  
Eventually her hand was right there where she wanted it and she bit her lip, closing her eyes as she slowly placed her fingers around what didn't need any more treatment. Cat exhaled sharply just as he sucked in air through his teeth noticing that they both had held their breaths. Her eyes jumped open and crawled from Vincent's chest up to his face. His lids were shut, and there were these small wrinkles between his brows explaining his frown. Her heart made an uneven jump.

Catherine looked at him for what felt like an eternity, before she acted. His hand were clawed into the sheets below him and his breath sounded aching as his body tensed up. Yet a part of her had to be sure that he would be able to restrain the beast. The other part was enjoying watching him far too much. Every little twitch of his face, every uneven breath, every muffled sound. This was more than fascinating, it was addicting. Cat had no idea why he fought so hard to stay silent, even though she tested him. She knew she did; she could read it from his face and it made her bite down her own lip.  
A movement of his head made her stop: pressing the back of his head into the pillow, exhaling sharply, in a way that she believed to hear her name. Before the decision was made Cat was already moving, lifting one leg to straddle him quickly. And still she couldn't withstand the urge to kiss him, placing her left hand onto his cheek, covering his scar as if it was the gateway to the beast inside him.  
One of Vincent's hands flung up to her bare back, making her shiver though the flash she felt radiating through her body; yet she wouldn't be distracted. She reached behind her as she moved, to regain what she had let go just a few heart beats before. He however instinctively followed her as Catherine's faced moved away, leaving him with a much too chaste kiss. Lifting up his head Vincent's eyes opened, realizing what she was about to do, the beast lurking in his eyes.  
They snapped shut, his head arched back and the sound that broke out of his throat was nothing less than human. Cat herself wasn't able to make any kind of noise as the air was caught in her lungs. She was lost in this annealing sensation inside of her burning all the cold that she might have sensed away. All she was able to do now was feel him as she pushed herself down, melting two into one. This uncanny, feverish feeling was spreading out inside of her, right from her core to every tip, making time slow down, shutting reality out. The air was silk brushing down her skin and it were her eyes which were glowing as they clung to his.

Catherine's hair left a strange echo on her back as she moved, a tickle that seemed to be far gone and even further away A hint of a memory like a washed out carving on a stone in the water. The blaze inside her was much more real and every movement, no matter how slow or how careful ignited it even more, heightened the heat. Even though she didn't want to Cat had to close her eyes as she lowered down, pushed down again. Her breath was just shallow and uneven as Vincent's, but despite him she didn't hold her breath as long as she could; she had no control over it. And while his hands buried themselves into the fabric beneath them, hers were glued to his stomach, brushing across it to her rhythm.  
If she had been cautious in the beginning, allowing herself to adjust to him, monitoring Vincent's reaction, she let go of this control with each push. Soon was just another expression of what she did and felt. Each stroke a little heavier, a little harder, a little deeper and more intense, intoxicating, intimate.  
So it was Vincent now that forced himself to watch her, to focus on her, to keep control, even though he had no idea how he managed that, feeling so similar to her. The tension and need growing inside him like a hunger he had ignored for much too long, that had exploded already into something he would always regret. Still here she was nonetheless, on him, enjoying him unrestrained. Right now as he left the reigns of all this in her hands, carefully allowing him to relish in what she gave to him, he felt strangely human. He met her movement with caution and her reaction was simply intense and rung in his ears.  
As Catherine moaned his name he felt thunderstrucked, fighting hard not to break out fully, because his hands already were on the move, sliding up her knees, her inner thighs and she audibly reacted to his touch as if she was his very personal instrument. The beast clawed the inside of his skin and Vincent inhaled deeply looking for the pain in his side.

Vincent's hands had reached her hips, fingers tightening around Catherine's bones, and he ended up fighting against himself, for not imposing himself on her again. His breath turned back to being shallowly and the paint of his hot wounds was washed away with a hot wave that left nothing but his need for her. And the beast inside him fed on this emotion like a predator on fresh meat. His eyes shut as he pulled her down on him, making her gasp and instinctively tense around him, intensifying this urge inside him even more. And he felt how he slowly lost it as he took over the lead with every move, how control slid through his fingers like water, wasting away like foam, being replaced with his need to have her, take her, own her.  
It was Catherine that heard him growl lowly.  
Something yanked him back and Vincent's eyes flung open as he felt her handy around his, stroking them, brushing up his lower arms without stopping to move herself. And as she noticed that she had him back looking at her with his soft brown eyes glinting faintly with gold she smiled slightly with her mouth open. Quickly she interlaced her fingers with his holding his hands tight before she bend down. Even though she had only intended to take his arm of his unharmed side with her, Vincent moved the other one nonetheless. So Cat ended up supporting herself on both of her hands, pinning down his arms below her. She could tell that the pain shot through his body like a hot sting and realized that this was what he needed right now. This reminder of being human.  
The different angle tore the new gained adjustment into dancing pieces of electricity invading Catherine's nerved. This was far too relishing than she could endure, so she made no intention to move, apart from carefully bending down to finally kiss Vincent again. She had spent far to long without doing this and he reacted to this as if he had waited for her the whole time.  
Vincent's right hand escaped her grip and found it's rightful place in her hair at the back of her head, gently pinning her mouth where it belonged: on his, until they both needed to gasp for air when she moved just once.

Catherine bend further down bringing both of her hands to his shoulders, while his left completed his embrace by placing itself on her back. Vincent's hold on her tightened and he pushed up his hips slightly, breaking whatever had held her back in that moment.  
Hotly she breathed into his mouth as she started to move her hips, pressing her eyes shut, while she framed his face with her fingers, claiming his mouth with hers, like the consuming fire her body. It was the most sensational feeling sensing how he filled her up, made her whole combined with those little sounds that escaped him. She never wanted anything else than this for the rest of her life.  
Obviously she was oblivious to the disembodied torment inside of him. The pain of fear that cut off the peaks of this rapture, every time he balanced on the edge of letting go and giving in to this dancing chaos of expressions.  
"I love you", she managed to exhale tonelessly, repeating it once more: "I love you."  
Her voice sunk in deeply and it was so strangely soothing, wrapping the claws of the beast into silk, calming it even lurking in the dark shadows of his self.  
"Catherine", his response was barely a shallowly whisper, yet his eyes fixated hers, hoping for her to open them and look back at him. "I love you .. so much", he brought out between their sintering kisses.  
Cat did open her eyes eventually, hinting a smile until she way his amber-golden eyes. Slowing down she stroke his face,  
"Talk to me", he whispered, almost begged.  
Her movements were much slower again, not less intense but much more gently while she kept caressing his face with her fingers and her lips, aspirating words between her kisses and sighs: "You're okay. You're fine. I love you. So much. Oh God." It was when his arms wrapped themselves around her holding her that close that she almost wasn't able to move anymore and he moved up his body to meet hers, kissing her desperately. Why her voice alone was able to contain his dark passenger was something he would think about later. All he knew right now was that he loved her even more for this. If this was even possible.

Catherine's whispered words turned into a mumble but it wasn't really important if she made any sense apart from repeating his name over and over again. Vincent let his hands run across her back gently kissing her back whenever her lips crossed his mouth, until they crawled back into Cat's long velvet hair.  
It was a quick move, one that she almost didn't realize if she hadn't ended up on her back with her hair that had flown around his face like a guarding curtain now lying next to her, exposing their faces to the light of the morning sun that crawled into the room.  
Vincent pulled back his head briefly to look down at her and Catherine replied his gaze. There was neither fear, nor worry, nor concern in her eyes. It astonished and comforted him just as strongly as the first time he had looked at them staring at him only in confusion. Now this was replaced with something else entirely and Catherine spoke out his thoughts: "I love you, Vincent."  
Her hands sneaked from his cheeks to the back of his head pushing it gently towards her again, so that she could kiss him and there wasn't anything else he'd rather do, apart from one thing.  
Still holding her in his embrace Vincent started moving while kissing her, trying hard to keep it together in more than just one way. Even though she was already caught in his arms Catherine still pulled him closer to her and admittedly she was pretty strong.  
Gasping for air once more he decided to kiss down her neck, so he could listen to the sounds and whispers that dropped from her mouth. Suddenly Catherine flinched slightly, tensed just a bit, gasped a little more edgy and he realized that he had touched that spot at her neck that had been ruptured. It yanked him back into his mind, which was ironically a good thing, and he stopped.  
"Don't", she exhaled hoarsely, adding "stop", after catching her breath and one of her hands moved through his hair, pushing his head down gently, back to exactly the same place, and he was confused for a moment.  
Until his lips touched her and she hissed out a moan that shot into every peak of his nerved, sending a icy shiver down his spine. And he continued. With everything. The sounds of her approval were ringing in his ears and he focused on them. And every time he heard his name it was like the Beast flinched and retreaded, growling in protest, lurking in the shadowy corners of his mind.

It seemed like they had finally felt their rhythm as they held each other tightly and closely, breathing shallowly through their mouths. Just the two of them dancing, embracing tightly in a fragile, perfect bubble, strong enough to keep everything out, even the Beast.  
Catherine's hands lost themselves in his hair running down to his neck and shoulders now and then, caressing him, while her sighs and whispers filled the air. They were Vincent's constant reminder, his safety rope and the Beast's chains that keeping it outside that thin barrier that surrounded them.  
Right now everything was perfect. Right now there was nothing else in existence but the two of them, merging themselves into one, moving in cadence, like sand and water.  
Nothing did matter anymore, there was nothing else they ever would want more than this, and never get any closer, more intimate with each other than in this moment, being that exposed and vulnerable and full of trust. Even though they tried, giving in to a desperate need that turned into a growing tension, a pressure inside both of them, ousting everything else: air, senses, and mind, with only themselves left.  
When the edge was finally reached, cutting through what had become too much to bear this tension poured itself out, turning into soothing stream of relief, washing all the heat and ache away.  
What was now empty became replaced with a warmth almost similar to the sun that now touched their skins, but so much more caring, comforting, fulfilling than this warmth just grazing their surface ever would offer.  
Vincent's mouth returned to Catherine's kissing her softly, almost chaste before he looked into her watery eyes. She smiled at him, happily, bringing her hands up to enfold his face, holding it while she looked back at him.  
"I love you so much", she whispered hoarsely. "So much it hurts."  
Before he was able to express he wonderful pain these words caused to him, Catherine already had pulled his mouth on hers, kissing him with her eyes closing, sending a tear down her temples.

Vincent shifted slightly, merely enough to get a more comfortable position before he noticed the wetness on her face and gently stroke the tears away with the arm he didn't use to support himself. Catherine's eyes never lost his as she marveled up at him, nestling her face into his hand. So eventually he lay down on his side and clenched his jaw as he pulled up the blanket to over them both, since the pain reemerged stronger than before. Cat scooted closer, so that his arm would be wrapped around her once it lowered down again, and she could cuddle up against his chest.  
She didn't dare to slide through her arm between his and his ribcage for an embrace because she was afraid to hurt him. Catherine already could tell by the way he breathed. So so placed her hand right next to her face above his heart, sensing its beat beneath her palm.  
Vincent held her close, cautiously since the pain seemed to increase when the tension in his muscles heightened. There wasn't any need to anyhow because Catherine made sure that she was as close to him as possible. He kissed her head, resting his mouth against her hair, inhaling the scent of it. Being worn out, tired and aching but satisfied and comfy he couldn't help but smile. This was it. This was what it felt like to be human and nothing else.  
And this situation turned into something even more human as Vincent's stomach growled, making Catherine snicker heavily against his chest, making her almost snort with laughter.  
"Sorry", Vincent apologized embarrassedly and frowned.  
If she would have looked up in that moment she would have seen his blushed face and definitely burst into laughter.  
"I guess I'm a bad host", she murmured against his skin, placing pecks where her lips touched him, and chuckled once more.  
"You know you aren't", Vincent mumbled against her hair with his eyes closed, savoring her caress.  
"Well your stomach disagrees", was her reply, brushing her hand to his belly, stroking across it.  
Catherine had to bite down her lip, because even though it hadn't been her intention in the first place she really enjoyed touching him like that, feeling the strains of muscles beneath her palm and fingertips. He almost felt like being carved out of stone - apart from that cheesy metaphor it was nothing but true: carved, warm, and living stone, covered with soft skin.  
"Oh God", the words escaped under her breath.  
"What's wrong?" Vincent instantly was concerned and moved back so that he could look at her, just to realize what this was about as he saw her burning cheeks and her teeth pressed against her lower lip.

Vincent blinked and looked at her sheepishly, just exactly like she was glancing up at her. It took them both a moment to realize that the other one wouldn't say something, feeling a slight awkwardness filling the room.  
"You know I'll make breakfast", Catherine suddenly rolling to her end of the bed and got up, condemning him to watch and stare as her as she stood in front of him nakedly, though her back was all he could see.  
Vincent cleared his throat and turned around. Despite what just had happened, it somehow didn't feel right to bluntly stare at her apart from the physical reaction it caused to him.  
Cat was dressed quickly since she simply put her pajamas back on and as she walked past the bed in which Vincent now was sitting finally daring to look at her again she gave him a roguish smirk. He wasn't really sure what this was about until she bent down and threw his boxers into his hands with a wide grin.  
"Now somehow I'm feeling used", he commented with a suppressed chuckle.  
"In that case I'm not finished with you", Catherine laughed playfully and quickly scurried out of the room, leaving a slightly abashed but definitely smirking Vincent behind.

Putting his T-shirt on as he eventually followed her Catherine had already put plates onto the counter and the coffee machine was working. She was going through the cupboards, on her tiptoes. The much too big tank top still covered her stomach and lower back as she reached up, getting a pack of bread.  
"I think we've only got toast", she said loudly expecting him still to be in her bed room, or maybe heading to the shower.  
Being on bare feet Vincent was almost inaudible, he didn't even realize that until she made him flinch with her volume.  
"Toast is fine", he answered normally, startling her in return, since he already placed his arms around her, pulling her close and kissing that specific spot on her neck, before he places his mouth onto her bare shoulder.  
After that second of shock was over Catherine nestled her face against his and placed her arms onto his, replying his embrace.  
"I could get used to this," she said lowly.  
"Me to", he murmured against her skin.

Before Vincent let go off her, stepping back, he kissed her temple.  
"So, how can I help?" he asked smiling softly and Catherine responded that facial expression as she turned around: "Well", she gestured at the fridge, "just take out whatever might be useful, but I doubt that it'll be much."  
Instead of doing anything both spent a little more time with looking at each other with growing grins. It was Vincent's stomach again that reminded them why they were in the kitchen in the first place.  
Quickly Vincent turned around and Cat unpacked the toast to get it ready to prepare. They didn't talk, just smirked and when the first two slices were toasted and she put the second two into the toaster, he poured them two mugs of coffee. Still smirking, seemingly wider as before. There wasn't anything the two of them had to say anyway, at least nothing that glances could do so much better.  
Sitting next to each other on the barstool they ate silently, smiling still. And when Cat placed down her mug after drinking some sips Vincent quietly took her hand, almost as if he couldn't bare it anymore not to touch her. It make her chuckle and look down blushingly. When she glanced up at him again she had to laugh out loud because he was jokingly making a weird face.  
Since she just had finished her second toast Catherine got off her stool and caught his cheeks with her hands and he stopped, looking at her like she had bewitched him - which she definitely had. Vincent wasn't really aware that his hands automatically placed themselves onto her hips when she came closer, and pulled her towards him as she kissed his lips. Her fingers slid to the back of his head, nestling into his hair and the kiss that might have been intended to be chaste and quick instantly turned intense and intimate.  
Cat let out a little chuckle again as Vincent's hands sneaked beneath her tank top, but it didn't last long since the ticklish feeling quickly turned into something else, making her press herself against him, wrapping her arms around his neck.  
"Seems like you're not hungry anymore?" she grinned, looking into his eyes that hid a glint of gold as he returned the gaze, murmuring huskily. "Depends."

"Depends", Cat repeated, lost in thoughts but with a grin on her lips, her forehead against his.  
Still she pushed herself towards him with her upper arms on his shoulders and Vincent gladly assisted her in holding her tight. She could feel his warm hands on her bare back, sliding up, making her hum.  
With her mouth slightly opened Catherine kissed him again, pressing her lips against his. Her heart was hammering wildly within seconds. Somehow she completely forgot how difficult it was for Vincent to find the exact balance between restraint and letting go. And so did he. With her lips raiding his like this, there was no time for reason and he didn't even hear the Beast inside him snarling. Like they both were ignorant to the whirl escaping his throat as he got off his stool, lifting her up so that she could wrap her legs around his waist.  
Their mouths were merging with their tongues dancing around each other as Vincent moved them back to Catherine's sleeping room. She didn't even notice. All she sensed was him: his arms holding her tight his lips fitting into hers, his muscles flexing, tensing against her skin. There was no clear thought in her mind, if there was a mind at all right now. Barely she felt how he placed her back on the bed, mainly because she slid out of his arms, creating a loss, bigger than just the warmth of his body.  
Vincent was already back to compensate her quickly pulling off her top, catching her hands that she had lifted up above her head to assist him. Skin touched skin as he lowered himself down, since he had gotten rid of his shirt those mere seconds they had been apart. Catherine smiled and glanced from her pinned hands to his.  
It was a cold strike though her bones as the eyes that looked back at her were of golden amber. Yet her smile remained even though it fainted slightly. Vincent was still himself; his face hadn't changed and nothing else as far as she could tell and most of all he didn't seem to notice. Only her heartbeat that started hasting even quicker. In that moment as he had lowered his head to kiss her again with eyes closed she responded without thinking, without worry and that second was blown away by the sheer fire that touch sent into her body, starting from the lips down her throat into her nerves.  
The fingers of his hands slid from her wrists to hers, interlacing each other and his lips brushed across her cheek to the side of her neck, burning kisses into her skin, with the same waves of heat flashing through her.

Catherine held her eyes closed. With her mouth open she trying to restrain her voice, by breathing shallowly. There was no need for him to push her hands into the pillow, she was doing it all by herself, moving her head to the side to that he could torment her neck even more. She barely noticed that this fingers left hers until they chained her wrists again. It had to be her imagination that his body radiated hotter than before onto her skin. Yet as she felt his teeth graze across her neck that though faded away like the air he exhaled against her.  
"Vincent", she exhaled tonelessly, sensing how he moved downwards, leaving a trail of nips and kisses, raining down like wax.  
His hands followed soon and it almost felt like he was scratching her, on purpose. However Catherine held her eyes closed, holding her breath, too shy to hear her own voice mirroring her sensation. Still there seemed to be a though her mind was trying to get hold of - at least it felt like it, but with each touch of his lips each caress of his hands it was pushed back into darkness and she couldn't help but not care and enjoy how he made her feel.  
No noise apart from her ragged breath came from her throat, maybe a suppressed, choked moan with her pressing her head into the pillow, when he stopped moving downwards to tease the more sensitive parts of her breasts with his tongue. Even though hot it send icy shivers through her nervous system. Catherine was lost for words if not for the ability to speak at all as Vincent continued. She felt him brush and graze down her stomach. Her body was not her own anymore. It was his happy to oblige as his hands reached her hips.  
Despite of the fact that it was just a glimpse of an eye that he stopped touching her, it felt like physical pain. Catherine was about to open her eyes again just the very moment he returned, taking on right where he had left her. And further down. Of all things she hadn't expected that and the sound that finally fled from her throat almost as she arched her back didn't sound human.

Catherine's hands sled across the blanket she was lying on, barely sensing the seam beneath her fingertips, since her whole being was focusing on something else. On him. On what he did. Right now. To her. Everything else was melting away around her, smelting into a puddle of sintering liquefied metal. She reached his hands enfolding her hips, brushing them, barely noticing the difference, if they were even different before. Did they? Cat didn't really care a split second later. Vincent just swiped her mind away with one stroke and him sucking on her flesh. Running up his lower and upper arms, which seemed to be tensing, she ended up entangling her fingers into his hair, barely holding her voice back.  
"Vincent", her gasping out turned into a moan and beneath her hands she felt him hesitating, shifting.  
Catherine barely was able to give a thought to this, because him stopping was literally painful to her. The fact that he was sliding up his tongue across her trembling stomach seemed to make it even worse.  
"Please", she exhaled hoarsely, tonelessly, her hands brushing down his head to the nape of his heck and shoulders as he continued his way up with her squirming beneath him, fighting for air.  
Vincent didn't seem to hear her, simply crawled slowly, seemingly even slower than before. His hot breath torturing her skin, his fingertips followed scraping. it sunk slowly into her mind, putting itself together like a puzzle, shaken and ripped apart every time he send a jolt and wave of pleasure through her body, but pieces remained together. Were it finger nails or claws? Her eyelids flung open but shut instantly as she felt his mouth at her neck, right at the spot he had ruptured not so long ago.  
"Vincent", she repeated with a hint of worry, bringing her hands back to his head just when it was right above her.  
Catherine couldn't help it, she simply was incapable of opening her eyes. she didn't want to see it, didn't want the risk of that thought being possibly true or the fact of her not believing that he could control himself. And then just a heartbeat later, it was too late anyhow. One simple, strong movement pushing out the air of her lungs, crushing her thoughts, drowning her mind and body in brief pain and much lasting pleasure, forcing her eyes open.


	13. Bang

Chapter 13 Bang [R]

As the sun found its way through the blinds into the room just few dust particles were dancing though the air, looking like little flaxes in the golden rays. The light flooded across the fabric of the sheets that enfolded the sole body beneath it almost like a second skin. The shrill sound of the door bell exploded into the silence and was answered by a groan of torment, and the coverlet moved a little. A moment of quietness before a fist hammered against the door.  
"For Christ's sake!" Evan sat up, his hair deranged from throwing himself around in the night, stubble in his face.  
With a heavy sigh he parted from his bed and walked to the door with bare feet, clothed with nothing but his T-Shirt and boxers. He had the rest of this week off. Getting rid of some over time was the official statement. So whoever it was would have to have a pretty damn good reason. Since what had happened last night he would make his bets on Tess. Evan remembered how pissed she was on him and there barely would be a better revenge than ripping him out of his sleep. Who else could it be?  
And his hand reached out for the door knob the second banging against the door made him flinch and he inhaled displeased. Just in that moment as he opened the door starting to pull it towards him, Evan hesitated, but it was too late already. He should have looked through the hole, he knew it. The blow was heavy, yanked the knob out of his hand and made him stumble backwards, still surprised. He blinked. Even though everything happened within two heart beats, his eyes perceived everything in slow motion: it wasn't Tess obviously, but he did know at least one of those two blonds, that entered his apartment, closing and locking the door behind him.  
"Claire", Evan stated hoarsely, clearing his voice after he had spoken and straightened up as his former fake girlfriend aimed a gun at him. "I see you brought a present, and a guest. "What do I owe the honor of this pleasant surprise?"  
"Kara, check the perimeter", the taller woman ordered, but despite what he expected the one with the straight hair and lighter color but dark eyes didn't move, and when she answered a cold jolt of realization struck through his spine.  
"Like I said: clear", she grumbled back; she was one of those creatures.  
He had spent all this time for finding one of them, ending up in saving the one he hand hunted just to be forced of letting him go, and now another one a female one just walked into his apartment.  
This Kara - he remembered her name, it was so strangely familiar - glared at him as if she had heard his thoughts and Evan looked back in blunt curiosity.

Though Claire started answering him, he didn't move his gaze. For one because he knew that it would upset the one that had lied her way into his life and on the other because he was curious what Kara would do since for animals staring was equal to threatening while for humans it was simply rude.  
"We have to talk about Doc", the woman standing closer to him spoke and he could tell by the tone of her voice that she didn't like how he behaved. "And how you betrayed him and with him my employer. Would you look at me?"  
Her question was disturbed by Kara speaking, not respecting a bit that Claire hadn't finished; "I'd like to bite him", her eyes were narrowed and still he could see the flash of yellow lightening them up eerily, she stepped into the room, "rip his throat out", and stopped just a feet behind Claire, who was about two inches taller, yet much less frightening. "And drink his blood", with the last word she tilted her head slightly.  
Evan lifted his eyebrows in surprise, trying to hide his discomfort about her choice of words and apparently Claire was nothing but annoyed about her sidekick: "Stop it, Kara", she rolled her eyes.  
The woman's reply was a low grow from her throat, never taking her eyes off the man in front of him. Obviously she had taken his test not just as a threat but as rudeness as well. by the way she stared ad him, Evan instantly knew that she knew what had been going on in his mind and this meant she was more than she appeared to be. Kara wasn't a bodyguard. Finally he looked at Claire and something told him that his fake ex, who still aimed a gun at him, seemed to be ignorant about that fact."So Doc and … Muirfield, was it? … are still working together?" Evan answered musingly, watching both women's reaction and he was rather surprised that it was Claire whose features hardened.  
"Well I though I already was working with Muirfield, turned out that I wasn't really, or did I mix something up? Did I do both? Please help be out here, because I am slightly confused", he continued.  
Claire clenched her jaw while Kara seemed to be slightly amused because the wrinkles between her eyebrows had disappeared. Now Evan didn't stare at her on purpose and it was the moving gun close to him that reminded him of that.  
"That doesn't matter right now", Claire almost hissed and somehow she seemed more like a sullen brat than a threatening agent.

Giving her an almost snarky smile the medical examiner overacted his facial expression, seemingly being confused.  
"How is that not important, or are you here pointing a gun at me in my own home for yourself only?" he felt self secure enough to be sassy.  
"Okay enough", Claire's face darkened in a way that made him shut up.  
The woman's thumb was moving to the cock maybe just to make a point and Evan automatically started lifting his hands.  
"Claire", it was Kara who spoke and her voice sounded strangely powerful and calm, like someone who was used to giving orders instead of receiving it and the thumb stopped moving.  
Evan was honestly puzzled now, because there was no hesitation, no doubt no confusion, in Claire following Kara's order. Until he realized that whoever send those two women seemed to wanted him alive, which made him relax, but he was smart enough not so show it openly.  
"You agreed in working for us, remember?" Claire started after calming down a little. "You had your chance in taking your goal and you let him go, you even assisted him."  
"Yes, obviously", Evan - still holding his hands slightly lifted - replied coolly, there wasn't any reason to lie about it.  
"This is actually a good thing", she continued, making him frown, as well as Kara - a thing that didn't slip his his eyes. "You know Muirfiled still wants him."  
"You mean, you want him", Evan couldn't help but correct, noticing that Kara looked back at him again.  
Somehow reading Claire had gotten easier for him. Obviously all that she wanted was making someone proud, doing good. Just like him she wanted to do the right thing, but Evan wasn't really sure what that was anymore. And now there was this Kara and he didn't know anything about him, apart her name, that sounded so familiar, that he had heard before.  
"Yes", Claire nodded, somehow not annoyed this time, yet he was too distracted to approve that. "You can have another one."  
This definitely caught his attention, and not just only his. Apart from that for the first time there was real emotion on Kara's face. Just for the glimpse of an eye, still Evan saw it.

His eyebrows twitched briefly as Claire's words sunk into his mind, but he didn't say a thing, not a comment, not even a gesture. Still she obviously felt like this was him telling her to continue.  
"He's gone rogue", the woman seemingly relaxed and lowered her gun - much to his surprise and relief. "If you agree on helping us out here, find out why he rebelled, then Muirfield and Doctor Donovan will ignore our little dispute."  
"Doctor Donovan?" Evan repeated, lifting his eyebrows.  
"Doc", it was Kara now, who sternly corrected or explained, the tone of her voice wasn't really clear on that matter.  
"Figured", the medical examiner looked at her directly once again and gave her a charming smile, to which she didn't react at all - at least on the surface. Placing his glance back on Claire his expression faded into a more professional one. "Help out why he rebelled? Would you explain? And .." he spread out his arms, looking down at himself. "Mind if I get dressed?"  
She sighed, with her shoulders finally stopping being tense and nodded, a gesture he replied briefly and turned around, not without his view grazing across Kara, who apparently suppressed a grin and as their eyes met, quickly cocked one brow. Within a second Evan didn't feel comfortable at all about his condition.  
"Still wanna bite him", he could hear her say as he entered his bedroom and something told him, that this was her intention, even though she heightened her voice not until she continued. "You know I can hear it if you try sending a text or something, Marks. Don't make me go in there. I might regret it."  
Tough he wasn't able to see it, he pretty much could imagine that Claire turned around to her to give her a stern or annoyed look, maybe both. He however hadn't missed her exact choice of words. A tiny grin appeared on his lips as he opened his closet to get out a fresh pair of pants, a T-shirt, a jeans and a pullover. He closed it just after putting on everything apart the last piece of clothing. His hart made a jump along with his body as Kara stood exactly behind the now closed closet door.  
"Jesus!"

Kara's expression and the way she tilted her head compensated the lack of words: she was quite the opposite and Evan could tell.  
"I didn't…", he began but the female Beast shook her head with an almost blank face and brought the index finger of her left hand to her own lips, making him frown.  
"If you don't stop looking at me like I am a lab rat", she said threateningly without her mine adjusting to her tone and voice as she walked away from him, towards the lamp standing on the night table next to him. "You might have the pleasure of monitoring all of my abilities much too soon."  
Kara glimpsed into the furniture and continued walking, making Evan realize two things: she adjusted her volume to her position, lowering it down the further away she walked from him, making sure that she sounded like she still was standing close to him even if she didn't; and second: she was scanning his sleeping chamber for listening devices. His face turned pale for a second just to beam in anger a moment later.  
"I apologize for being curious", he entered her charade, speaking in the same tone as before, but since he had no idea what else he could say he was stuck with the truth he rather did not tell. "I just hadn't the chance to actually … meet one … of your kind."  
Kara kept facing him as she walked backwards, heading towards she second lamp, and looked him straight in the eye.  
"I thought Tommies were actually the politest people on the planet", she answered him and for the glimpse of an eye Evan believed he saw a twitch of her mouth's corners.  
"I am sorry again", he replied lowering his head slightly, smiling faintly, before he put on his pullover.  
"Well at least you haven't forgotten to apologize for everything", with that comment she pulled out a cable off the shade and showed it to him.  
Evan's smile was gone and he opened his mouth just to get another shaking of her head, telling him that she believed there to be at least a second bug. Not knowing what else he should do, he shrugged helplessly, lifting his hands up shortly to blurt out with the first thing in his mind: "Can I make it up to you?"  
And with that Evan caught Kara off guard.

Even though her eyes were open Catherine wasn't able to see, since her head bent back automatically. Her hands sliding down his neck to his shoulders and her fingernails dug into his flesh, almost as if she was the Beast now and not him. Was he? She couldn't catch a clear thought and she didn't want to. Not really. Not now. Not with him moving like that, into her, inside of her, making her feel like a slave to his actions. This was torture, simply because it was too slow, too deep, too intense and it became worse and so much better. Catherine yearned for gasping out Vincent's name because she loved the sound of it, but he left her no air apart from breathing. And somewhere in the back of her head she remembered that he had asked her to talk to him, it took her some time to recall the reason. Yet she wasn't able to focus since he was sending waves through her body almost like he was invading her. Still it felt terribly good and Catherine knew that she wanted him just the same.  
With her eyes closed she somehow managed to enfold his face, fighting for air, for control over her body. She could feel her eyes rolling as the tension inside her grew that quickly, burning her up from the inside. No air in her lungs left, her breath much to shallow. Her fingers placed into his cheeks Cat instantly knew that they were altered and a hot sting jolted through her nerves, heightening the tension even more, making her gasp, sucking int the air painfully into her lungs.  
There was a battle inside of her, fighting for if she should open her eyes or not, see what she knew she would see. Could she really tell that he had changed? Did it matter? Didn't it still feel right? Enough air.  
"Vincent", she exhaled shallowly and opened her eyes, looking into his goldenrod ones, his face slightly distorted, yet somewhat a mixture of whom and what he was.  
Seeing him didn't change a thing. Nothing at all. When he looked back at her it was him entirely. Catherine just knew and she smiled, pulling his face towards her, kissing him, not caring that it was different, because no matter what it was still Vincent. Her Vincent. She had closed her eyes not because of the sight, but because of the way she kissed him. And the only downside of him replying was that he also stopped moving. All while she could feel the change beneath her palm and fingertips.  
Catherine pulled away, glancing into those eyes that still had the other color. Panting she narrowed her eyes playfully, gasping out hoarsely: "Don't you dare to stop."

They exchanged glances for a moment until she moved, still holding his gaze with her head tilting slightly. There wasn't an expression in Kara's face that Evan was able to read. Again. But right now it was rather more important to figure out why the hell his apartment was bugged and she was helping him out finding the devices. Obviously Claire had no idea what she was doing, but somehow he felt like she knew that the bugs were here.  
"Maybe showing me the courtesy of asking me if I'm willing to", Kara paused and grinned when she returned to him slowly, "satisfy your curiosity a bit instead of … checking me out."  
"I wasn't checking you…", Evan protested. "Well in a different …." he sighed. "Never mind."  
The way she looked at him changed instantly when she was right back from where she had started: her eyes slightly narrowed not a wrinkle showing a hiding grin. In fact she stepped even closer ignoring that he was taller than her and apparently it didn't matter to make a point.  
"I am a human being, not an animal. We are not cross-species, but enhanced humans", her voice was rather a growl. "we are the evolution of mankind."  
Evan was confused but didn't step back, rather frowned at her trying to understand her strange behavior as Claire appeared directly behind her. Had Kara heard her coming? She definitely would have the ability to do that. Or known that she would step in in that moment? And most of all: did she really meant this last sentence or was this just acting.  
"Stop it, Kara", the Muirfield agent ordered.  
"You should rather stop treating me like a dog", the smaller woman glared up at her and Evan had to admit that she was pretty daunting when she behaved like this. "And it's Miss Donovan from now on", she added.  
Both were stunned: Claire definitely more than Evan. She didn't have had any idea as well obviously.  
"Yes, as in Michael Donovan", Kara brought her eyes back to him, and the way she looked she seemed to try reading his reaction to this new information.  
"He did this to his own daughter?" he tried to understand and spoke out what Claire apparently thought as well.  
"Obviously", was the dry answer. "One of the reasons he left Muirfield."

After looking at Evan for quite some extend Kara faced Claire again who obviously was more than just puzzled since she seemed to be in a lot of trouble putting the pieces together.  
"Just leave it", the Kara told her. "Accept that you have no idea whom you're working for and it's for your own sanity's good that you don't. You're in much too deep to ever get out. Almost like me. And", it were only her eyes moving back to Evan. "you, maybe."  
Claire was oblivious to her glance but he somehow felt like Kara was hinting him that he still had a way out. This however confused him rather than helping out. With this realization she walked out of his bedroom with his look following her unconsciously. Her head turned around catching his glance and him in the act making him react in the only way that seemed logical: following her, which lead Clair automatically to join them back in the living room.  
"Back to business", Kara said leaning herself against the doorway crossing her arms. "I'm just here representing my father."  
Evan couldn't help but doubt that a little, even though there was no obvious reason for him, apart from her cryptic and ambivalent behavior. His mind drifted off into pondering if this was a cross species trait, being more than just one species could lead to having more than on personality. Then again he was no psychologist.  
"This creature that has gone rogue", Claire started but was cut off by Kara sighing heavily, which made her obviously uncomfortable. "He", she emphasized, "would never be able to do that according to our records and Donovan's statement."  
Evan listened and watched both women closely. The one in front of him who had sat down as he had seemed tensed and worried, while the other one leaned against the wall rather looking displeased, even more as Claire continued, since he kept silent.  
"He was altered with a different serum", she explained telling Evan more than he had ever heard from Doc or anyone, still it wasn't a surprise since Muirfield had admitted to him to actively creating this cross species. "And treated differently so that he and the other subjects wouldn't disobey a direct order."  
"You say you programmed them into being blindly obedient?" he repeated in his own words, his eyes quickly jumping to Kara whose facial expression hardened and he asked himself if she was programmed as well.  
"One of the reasons we had to take the earlier subject down was that they were uncontrollable", Claire continued. "Not just for us but for themselves as well, which is why we need to capture Vincent Keller. You have seen with your own eyes what he is capable of."

Evan let her words sink into his mind, knowing that what she said was partially true: he had seen what Vincent Keller was capable of. Despite seeing him in action, he had seen him change and compose himself. He hadn't snapped and tried to kill him instead he got himself killed, literally, saving Cat. Not all the blood in that room and on that table had been Vincent Keller's - Evan was sure of that - but he had fought his way through possibly others of his kind and risked his life for the women they both loved. Needless to say that Evan had to start accepting that Catherine had chosen Vincent over him. And right that had been the reason why he did what he had done, why he had helped them both. Vincent Keller wasn't out of control. He might not be human - and with that thought Evan's glance wandered to Kara - but he wasn't an animal either. Were her words earlier hinting that?  
Again he remembered that he had heard that name, her name, without the family name. It could have been a coincidence, in that case he would definitely have a face to that name, but he didn't. It was then when he realized that Cat had said this name. That a woman - a female beast - was helping Connor, the beast who had locked them in. There couldn't two Karas been turned into beasts. Evan tried not to show that he felt like recognizing her and looked at Claire again.  
"Yes, I have seen a few things he is capable of", he said to her coolly. "Like dying beneath my hands."  
Both women froze hearing these words and both faces mirrored the emotion they felt: disbelief and doubt, but fear as well, fear that his words were right.  
"Well you brought him out of that building", Claire responded after recomposing herself.  
"Interesting"; Evan frowned as he retorted. "You were able to monitor us leaving after you scanned the building, but had no idea that we were still there after you did so?"  
As soon as he spoken out his words, he realized his mistake and just briefly looked at Kara who tensed just slightly. It had been her who had saved them from from her own unit. Her faint flinching however told him that he had remembered right. She was a traitor to her own father, or was she a double-spy? Now he couldn't help but look at her and Claire did the same.

There they were again those tiny wrinkles between his eyebrows that always appeared when he was thinking too much. Catherine pulled his face closer to hers again not stopping to glance into his eyes that still looked like having caught the sunlight in them. She had to admit that she relished that view and she continued clinging to them as Vincent obeyed to her, starting with just one move that made her gasp for air.  
When she pulled his opened lips against hers a second thrust followed, forcing her to moan into his mouth. He trembled in response. Their kiss was rough and much too brief, but somehow Catherine had to look into his eyes again. She couldn't help it. Knowing that she was the reason he had to fight for restraining himself, that he wanted her that much, it was quite honestly too arousing.  
Vincent's eyes kept their goldenrod color, looking back at her and he still frowned as she bit down her lower lip, stroking one hand across his cheek while the other held its place framing his face. He held his breath, like it was helping him restraining the beast inside of him, but he couldn't keep it up for long. They both knew it.  
"It's okay", she breathed out between the movement that felt like snowflakes walling onto her skin, melting, sinking into her body and exploding into little suns. "It's okay", Catherine repeated once more, caressing his face while he made her sigh, which seemed to be good and bad alike.  
More gently this time she led his lips to hers kissing him softly and closing her eyes. She could literally feel how something inside him relaxed and she loved that fact that she was able to soothe him just with a kiss like that. Catherine loved everything about it, most certainly the conditions Vincent was concerned about both.  
"I love you", she whispered against his mouth, barely able to pull hers away to speak, but she knew she had to. "Everything about you. And I want you." It was Vincent who moved his head away so that he could look at her, slowing down again, so painfully, and still she added, looking back: "All of you."  
He glanced down at her, keeping still, for what felt like an eternity and was torturing her, though she endured it, trying not to show it. This was Vincent's torment. She knew it, but she wasn't willing to accept it.  
"It's okay", her voice was slightly hoarse as she spoke more clearly, caressing his face again. "We can control it. I know it. Just … relax. I know you'd never hurt me." She opened her mouth, speaking more quickly than him, cutting him off before he could even protest. "You have never hurt me."

With both of them now looking at her Kara new that she had to say something, or at least react in some way. So she did: by shrugging her shoulders and expression on her face that she couldn't care less.  
"So now I am a human to you and not a guard dog?" she added after another moment of them staring at her. "Needless to remind you that the in house cameras were removed and there is no public camera monitoring the back of that private property what was a reason why my father chose that building in the first place."  
She chose not to mention that she had run into Connor and therefore not being forced to lie about what she said. Every word was true. Even if another Beast had listened to her she would never be accused of lying. Kara truly was her father's daughter.  
While as Claire faced Evan again his eyes still focused the woman that was so hard to read and - admittedly - fascinating even without her being genetically altered into a cross species. Even more now as he realized that she had been the one helping them to escape despite her being the daughter of that very scientist who had been experimenting with combining human with animal DNA. Kara simply stared back in a way that he could feel burn into the back of his head.  
"So what do you want from me now?" Evan eventually looked at Claire again, noticing that Doc's daughter moved away from the door, stepping towards the Muirfield agent who sat with her back on her. "I mean I can examine the DNA if you want, but how am I supposed to be helping you catch the one who has gone rogue?"  
"You can't", Claire answered. "At least not now. We believe that he will try to make or keep in contact with Catherine Chandler. But we still need to get Vincent Keller. It is more important. And here again your colleague is the key to all of this. But …" she leaned forward making Kara stop instantly, which confused Evan who automatically tried to hide this fact. " … is he dead? And if: where do you put bis corpse. We need it."  
Evan realized that Muirfield wouldn't stop going after Vincent even if he managed to convince Claire that he had died. He could feel his pulse starting to race and avoided looking at Kara, who definitely would call his bluff if he chose to lie. His mind was working in high speed, trying to find the right choice and the right words.

He had lost it and couldn't even remember when, simply because everything had gone and swirled into a wild blur of sensation and emotion. Everything had been her and nothing else mattered. Vincent had allowed himself to let go, maybe just for a second and it had tried to take over. From that moment on it had been a dance with the devil, because he couldn't stop. Being that close and intimate with Catherine just swiped his mind blank; it was something close to being unbearable for him to experience at all. So he couldn't stop, because he didn't want to.  
Allowing the Beast to break through the surface seemed to be the only thing that allowed him to enjoy it. Still he fought to hold it back, to restrain it and himself. And that fact was probably the most terrifying one he had to admit himself. That the Beast and him were on the same page right now. That he was both right now. There was no excuse. He needed to stop this. Because it was wrong. Still the thought was excruciating, the attempt even more. It felt like tearing himself apart.  
Until everything was washed away, swiped off of him as he felt Catherine's hands on his face, as she looked into his eyes, those who where exposing what he had done, what he was, displaying the ugly truth to her, unadorned. The shallow tone of her barely whispering voice speaking his name felt like a cool wave, making him realize that he loved her, so much, that he hated himself for failing her.  
Catherine's smile felt like she had planted a sun inside of him and he couldn't comprehend and believe that she pulled his face to hers again to kiss him. Vincent was stunned and finally able to stop, even though it felt like he was colliding with a truck. Still he felt how he calmed down slightly, just enough to put the beast back beneath the surface, back into the lurking shadows of himself. And just when he felt like trying to shackle it, Catherine's demand made it try to break free forcefully, simply because she sounded and looked so arousing. His body moved on his own and he was unable to stop looking into her eyes and himself. Vincent could feel his restraint crumble as she kissed him, moaning into his mouth like that. The Beast tore itself out of his grip when he responded her kiss. He couldn't help it. And it took all his strength to pull it back, barely enough to break out but not enough to put it in chains.

Holding his breath Vincent had no idea what to do simply because both things he wanted were heading into different directions. He doubted that he would be able to restrain himself again if they continued and probably he would beast out later if they stopped. Someone not like him would never understand how much more powerful the tension inside him was, since it as feeding the Beast - his natural self defense and instinct given a chance to take form. With the air trapped in his lungs he was suffocating it at least a bit. He couldn't do this forever.  
Catherine's gentle touch was soothing and we was awed by her, how she looked at him, managed to breathe out between his movements, telling him that it was okay, but it wasn't. Not even when she repeated herself.  
As she kissed him once more and so differently, so softly and caring, Vincent could feel what her words had been incapable to do, yet he wasn't willing to accept it. However it was her that tamed the tempest inside him in a way he never could. "I love you", her voice rung in his ears while he kept his eyes shut, sucking in this sense of calmness her touch seemed to spread inside him. "Everything about you. And I want you."  
Now he had to break their touch and look at her, even though he knew that his eyes still were revealing his state, managing to slow down, even if it was just a little. Vincent could see Catherine's need in her eyes, not knowing if she was able to see what this did to him, how much he wanted just to give in and loose control, but he couldn't trust himself, could he?  
"All of you", this last fragment of her sentence stunned him, because there was no doubt left that she meant what she said and still she continued caressing his face, trying to convince him that somehow they would be able to control that beast inside him, like they had earlier.  
He would never hurt her, she still believed that, despite what happened. as opened his mouth to remind her of that, she didn't let him.  
"You have never hurt me."  
Vincent was incapable of comprehending her words for a moment, because it collided with his own truth. He had been there. He had seen it, felt it. Realization was overwhelming, when that single though took over his mind, asking him if the Beast had known that she had wanted it. No this couldn't be the truth, could it?

Evan knew that he had to answer quickly to this, still he wasn't sure what would be right. So he went with his instinct and stuck to the truth.  
"He died beneath my hands", he explained, looking at both women. "We first through he was alright and then he collapsed and … was gone."  
That being said his glance wandered off into the distance. Evan never had wanted to experience something like that again. Still it seemed like experiences like that followed him wherever he went. But he had saved Cat that night after her father's wedding and this was something he really clung to. As he continued speaking it was like he was listening to someone else: "There was nothing I could do, … simply slipped away."  
"And how did you get his corpse out of the building then?" Claire demanded doubtingly and her tone pulled him out of his memory.  
"Well he couldn't simply walk out of his own", he cocked one brow at her - knowing that he wasn't lying: Vincent hadn't been able to walk alone: he had been leaning on him.  
Again as he looked at Kara he had no idea what she might be thinking. He hadn't lied so there was no way that she would be able to tell that and if his slightly heightened pulse was enough for her to decide that he was hiding something - like Vincent returning from being dead for more than 5 minutes - he would be the first one to know on which side Doc Donovan's daughter really was.  
"So where's the corpse?" she asked coolly, being unimpressed by the emotion he had shown just seconds ago. "We need to take it in as well."  
Claire gave her a look like she had stolen her last cookie, but there was something else in her glance. She seemed almost sad.  
Evan hesitated. His mind was working quick now and as his look crossed Kara's he instantly knew that she was aware of him withholding the crucial fact that Vincent Keller was alive. The way she almost glared at him, making him feel uncomfortable, as if she wanted to break him down just with her eyes.  
"I don't know", he eventually answered to her. "I took off with my own car. I don't know where they took him."  
This was in fact the truth.  
"Who?" it was Claire now.  
"Catherine and Tess", that response jumped instantly out of his mouth.  
"They probably brought him home", Kara told the other woman, who shook her head in doubt: "After you invaded that place?"  
"Are you reasonable when you lose someone close?" she didn't give in that quickly.

Both women exchanged glanced that were rather glares. It was obvious that they didn't like each other and Evan asked himself why since they apparently didn't know each other enough to be aware of their relationships to certain scientists involved in this whole scenario of DNA manipulation.  
"Are they still with him?" Claire's head turned back to Evan, leaving Kara standing behind her and out of her sight.  
It was interesting to see that despite her resentment towards the female beast she didn't feel threatened by her at all. Not even with her standing behind her. She displayed perfectly that she felt superior to Kara. Maybe she believed that Doc had programmed his daughter as well?  
"I don't know," Evan replied honestly, and earned an inaudible but deep sigh.  
"This is getting out of hand", the Muirfiled agent shook her head. "There are too many people drawn into this. Now the second cop already. You know that we have to contain this and there is no way anymore to solve this problem quietly. You have to come with us Evan and leave all of this behind. I don't … Muirfield doesn't trust you enough anymore", her hand wandered back to her lap where her gun rested. "But we are willing to give you another chance, if you agree to work with us on our terms in our facilities under our control."  
Evan automatically tensed. The atmosphere of this situation had changed quickly and that fact stunned him for a moment. He lifted his hands again, holding himself back from standing up last-minute.  
"Look, I understand that you don't trust me after yesterday, but you have to believe me that I had no choice", he tried to argue his way out of this calmly. "But if I hadn't helped they would have found out about our connection."  
Claire looked at him, pondering, while Kara just stood there, not saying a word, not even looking at them, but down. Evan frowned in disbelieve that she chose to simply stand by now after aiding his explanation earlier. There was no way understanding that woman.  
"True", Claire eventually agreed and turned her head barely towards her escort. "Tell the other two teams to go now. We only need Catherine Chandler alive."  
"Seriously?" Evan couldn't stop himself from jumping up this time, but the gun was instantly pointed at him just like her full attention.  
"What's with Forbes?" Kara asked uninvolved, but to his dismay.  
"Already taken care of", Claire answered without letting Evan out of her focus."That wasn't my call."

It was an unbearable sight watching Vincent's torment. He wanted to believe her so badly. How he wished that he had to trust himself like Catherine trusted him. She was so convinced, so unbelievably sure that he almost thought she was right. Holding his face caught in her hands, she wouldn't allow him to leave, knowing that he wanted this just as much as she did. There was no denying it.  
"We did it already", she whispered hoarsely, leading his mouth back to hers, breathing out just a glimpse before their their lips met. "You won't hurt me."  
Her kiss was dazzling this time, even more voluptuous than the last. Vincent knew that there would be no pulling back, which was more or less the last clear thought that he was able to build in his mind, as he sensed how her hands moved from his face and down his chest to his back.  
Catherine didn't even have to push her hands down, since the second she reached his lower back he already reacted to her. His movement pushed the air out of her lungs, but her mind was already blank by the way he replied her bold kiss. All she could do was claw her fingers into his flesh right there.  
Her grasp grazed through Vincent's nerves like fire, feeding what he had been trying to hold back again, strengthening it. Yet the certainty that Catherine didn't fear it and wasn't afraid of him loosing it was strangely soothing and he was watching himself giving in to the curiosity of how far he really was able to go if he allowed himself not to be afraid as well.  
She was loosing the ability to kiss him with every thrust, needing the mouth to pull in some air whenever there was a chance. There was something different this time and this rolled a chill down her spine in a strangely good way. Catherine couldn't care less about the reason why as Vincent's mouth teased her neck again. Sensing his teeth graze across the thin skin covering her carotid she just had to moan.  
Her voice sounding like this was intoxicating and he wanted more. There was no way telling which side of him was yearning, simply because there wasn't a side anymore in that moment. The line was blurred. Certainty cut through him like a knife, but he growled it away, against her skin which was the only thing he wanted to taste right now. And there was much more gnawing at him, whispering, crawling right beneath his skin. Not breaking through. Not yet. His movements lost tenderness and along with them her voice its softness.  
Catherine knew that she would never have enough of him, no matter how or what he did to her - in the end she wanted it all and the more she seemed to loose her mind to him, the better. She who always was in control, being unable to let go of it relished in the fact that he tore it away from her.

There was a smile on his lips as he hustled the car door into its lock and even when he looked at this place that had been his home for more than ten years, and now had lost this feeling of security, there still remained faint echo. J.T. needed many things from the loft and sooner or later he would get them all, but not this time. He wasn't sure if and how much Tom - of FaceB, how he used to call him to separate his hacker life from his more public one - had already done here, but he guessed it would be not enough, since he had originally suggested to make installing a security system a project of his class. Now however that idea was nothing more than a long shot. J.T. was starting to think about Sarah's idea to make his old chemical plant a research lab for university, even though this was nothing bur a raw idea that needed to be developed. Nonetheless it helped him approaching his home in the first place.  
For moment, as he walked through the dark hallway waiting for an armed agent to jump out of the shadows to shoot him, he regretted not taking Sarah with him, which was completely idiotic because if that really would happed he would have put her in grave danger. The place was still secured, he needed his code to disable the alarm before he could even approach the entrance door, but he started to accept the fact that he would forever be on edge being here. Maybe Sarah's proposal was the right one in the end. He would have to talk to Vincent about that.  
Stepping into the loft was weird this time, because it was exactly how he left it, just the same: clean, spartan, drowned in shades and colors of gray. The couch opposing the flat screen with the x-box, the kitchen they had build right next to in tin the middle of the hall. The mesh at the end of the stairs, which led to their sleeping places was closed. Everywhere the lights where switched off and it was almost completely silent. One could only hear the humming of the fridge. It all looked so domestic but it was like staring at an old photograph.  
J.T. let out a sigh and locked the door behind him before he headed upstairs. He would need just a few things from and for work and a bunch of clothes and then he would be up and away. He kept reminding himself like a prayer. On this level everything seemed to be untouched as well and if Muirfield would be after him, wouldn't they already been here and attacked him?  
"Hello J.T.", a familiar female voice made hid head snap up and towards the direction of its origin: Vincent's bed.  
She wasn't sitting on it, at least not anymore. Probable she had stood up the moment she had heard him come up the stairs.  
"Alex?" he asked in disbelief, and his heart dropped as he saw the gun in her hand.  
"I'm so sorry", her voice broke as she pulled the trigger.

Even wasn't able to comprehend the situation in front of him. There was no way that these two women could be that impassive about the fact that two people, two good guys would be killed, that they were involved in two murders. There was no way that he could accept this. he had to find a possibility to warn them. Evan knew that he had to stay calm but it was close to impossible.  
"And if I refuse to cooperate?" he demanded to know, anger roaring at the edge of his voice, as he tried not to tremble.  
"Then I will have to kill you", Claire stated coolly, though her voice betrayed her, just for one second.  
"Right here", it was rather an conclusion spoken out monotonously.  
Still standing with his hands slightly lifted he kept staring at his fake ex now since he had given up hope to read anything in Kara, who was still standing loathsomely relaxed behind Claire. The gun was still pointed at him and he clenched his jaw remembering how he had let her into his life because he had been trying to get over Cat. What an irony it was that she exactly had been the reason why he had met Claire in the first place.  
"Don't think I would be happy about it", she eventually added, briefly attempting to smile but it just came out as an deranged grin, so she gave up.  
"Oh, believe me I don't", Evan responded in the same tone as before while he desperately searched for a way out of this situation, but he knew even if he managed to dodge the first bullet there still was that female beast and still more bullets in the magazine.  
"Really, Evan, just come with…" Claire suddenly seemed to care but he had enough of it, shaking his head.  
"And how are you going to explain me getting killed in my own apartment on my day off?" he sounded resigned now and underlining that impression he lowered his gaze; in fact he needed to concentrate on his options and buy some time, since Kara hadn't called anyone, or had he missed that?  
"It wasn't my idea", Claire started off as if she wanted to apologize for killing him - as if that would make it any better, "but please reconsider. I wouldn't want to ruin your reputation."  
Her words made him frown and look back at her, his eyes swiping across Kara's hands. There had been a phone. He had seen it, but now it was gone. Was his time running out? Was Tess' and time running out?  
"No break-in, because that gives us more time to clean up", she explained, pointing out that her gun had a sound absorber. "You had someone over. Drugs involved", she leaned slightly towards him. "Which explains your strange working habits because of aiding Donovan. And whoever brought you your drugs killed you."  
Evan narrowed his eyes.

Whatever shifted it was an uttermost strange sensation. He didn't really have to fight for restraining something inside of him, seemingly giving the Beast exactly what it wanted right now. This relief however made him lightheaded, maybe even careless.  
Catherine was oblivious to this, because she wasn't able to pay attention to anything else but what he was doing to her right now. Like his lips and teeth burning on her neck and collar bone, or him taking first her left then her right arm off of him, pinning her hands above her head, enchaining her wrists with his hands.  
Vincent had no idea why he did this, he wasn't even thinking, just wanting, desiring, for her to do exactly the same she was asking of him: to lose control. And this meant not to be in control anymore. he could feel it burning inside of him like devouring fire, waiting for him to misstep. All he knew right now was that this right now was how he felt for her, how he wanted her, how he loved her. It consumed him, eating away his self control. And she asked him to allow this fire to go wild.  
Catherine gasped as he pulled away, forcing her to look up into his glowing eyes, his features slightly hardened but still they stayed the same. Yet this sight did something to her, something she couldn't really put into words or thoughts. It made her gasp and squirm beneath him. He was frowning slightly, displaying those wrinkles between his brows she loves so much and yet there was something dark about his expression, something unfathomable.  
It felt like something was tearing inside of him, as if the Beast was assisting him in destroying the very wall he had build up over the years and he didn't even fear it. He wasn't able to stop it either, not that he cared. All that mattered now was Catherine and how she looked back at him, how she sounded, tasted, and felt. Even though she was as close to him as it was possible, he still seemed to be painfully separated from her and this ache enraged this beast contained inside of him, made him almost furious.  
Catherine had never experienced something that intense in her whole life and she loved it. She couldn't be any happier about that it was Vincent making her feel like that, and she didn't even bother to worry about the fact that he was on the brink of changing. There wasn't much sanity left in her right now.  
"I love you", she managed to gasp out, fighting against his grip on her wrists, yearning to touch her face, arching her back, "so much", she fell back into the sheets, exhaling those two words.

Catherine's voice, her words were cutting of the edge that was tormenting him, grazing his nerves, drove him close to insanity. He wasn't able to explain it to himself what power she had over him, and it didn't really matter apart from the fact that she soothed him just enough. This time. Vincent lowered his head in need to hiss her, barely touching her lips with his opened mouth. She reacted instantly, arching up to merge her mouth with his, making him breathless.  
She had no idea what she was sensing right now. Fighting against his hold on her wrists, yearning and trying to meet his thrusts that seemed to ignite every peak of her nervous system whenever he was deep inside of her. Catherine was his, with every fiber of her being, with her mind and soul. How she wished to be able expressing this to him, that right now it didn't matter, was irrelevant if he was beast or not. In this very moment all that was important was how he made her feel, how he eradicated every concern, every worry, every fear inside of her just by his movements, just by the way he looked at her, just by being him.  
There was something about the glance of her eyes that made the world around him crumble and with it every rule, every reasonable fear, every drawn line and with them every chain he had ever build up inside of him. It was a cold wave he felt, realizing that his hold on the very core of him, of his instinct, slipped as he saw how unconditionally her emotions were for him. In that very moment it was gone, the last brink of control he had left.  
"Catherine", Vincent breathed out with the sound of despair, right before his hands let go of her wrists and moved beneath her back to pull her up onto his lap, as he himself sat up on his knees.  
This was it. This was the feeling of control slipping his hands as they seemingly turned into claws that pressed themselves into her soft flesh, grazing upwards to her shoulders so that he could pull her down onto him. Yet that wasn't necessary since she already moved, yearning to meet him, to feel all of him. With her eyes closed Catherine pressed her mouth against his, her freed hands enfolding his face, leading it towards her. Her hot breath washed over his skin as she breathed heavily, gasping audibly as he didn't stop to move.  
Vincent could sense it, how it was gone and there was no way stopping it. He wasn't in control anymore. It was non existent. He was free of it. Of this duty, of this responsibility. It felt like the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. even more as if gravity had been taken off of him. And there was nothing left. Not even a memory. Not a hint. His whole world, his whole being was her.

Catherine knew that his fingers felt like claws, that his features beneath her palms and fingertips felt marmoreal but she couldn't care less, not even sensing those fangs beyond his lips as she was kissing him. It was him, it was Vincent, so who cared? She couldn't care less, just give in to this sensation that he gave to her, imprisoning her with his grasp. How was this even bearable?  
If he would be able to devour her without losing her, he would. Just sensing her was a pain and pleasure beyond comprehension. There was no explaining. Though there was almost nothing more soft, more wonderful than her lips on his he pulled away, gently grazing his clawed fingers down her back, making her gasp while leaning her head back, exposing her neck to him, so he could sink his teeth into her soft flesh, just enough to not rupture the sensitive surface.  
Catherine lost the ability to cope, she felt like melting into a different state, like liquid metal in his grasp for him to form into anything he desired. It was like her body wasn't her own anymore and the only way to sit up straight was clinging to his neck and leaning into his grasp. Still she sensed somewhere in her mind how she slid further backwards and gasped yearningly for air as his mouth moved down from her neck to her chest. She had never expected to enjoy this torture that much like she did right now.  
Vincent knew that his lips were tormenting her right now, but she did the same to him, just by being her, accepting him, all of him. He could hear her moan and gasp, whimpering his name in a way that whipped through his body like a nine tailed lash. He could sense how she tensed around him, more and more, intensifying his own pain and need. Pulling her back into an upright position her groan rung in his ears forcing him to reply just in the same way.  
Catherine crushed her lips back onto his the second she got the chance to do so. It was brief, since she had to move away just enough to gasp for air. She was burning alive into thousands, millions pieces of ash soaring into the air, still clenching gathering, wafting around him refusing to let go. If there had been enough air in her lungs, she possibly would have screamed right now, but all she could to was exhale.  
Vincent was the blaze that turned her into ash, disintegrating himself in this very moment as she pulled away, leaning her head backwards. He could feel how he dissolved into nothing and everything, how he admixed himself with her for less than the blink of an eye and put himself together. However this tiny, little, incomprehensible moment everything was perfect and he had won that very sensation he had yearned for so desperately: being one with her, with Catherine. And for one heartbeat the beast was no more.

Evan felt sick. Simple as that. he couldn't believe that he had actually fallen for her - at least a bit - that he had been intimate with that woman who now spoke so easily about destroying the reputation he had build up so carefully. How could one be so blind? He had to admit that he easily had fallen for Doc's myths because he had wanted to believe them. But meeting Vincent, witnessing how he was able to control himself how he was willing to give his life for Cat. Evan couldn't except such ignorance.  
"Drugs, really?" he asked, his British accent stronger than ever.  
Claire's reply was nothing more than a shrug, which made him feel even more ill. He didn't even want to look at Kara who stood there like a statue, with this whole conversation pearling off of her.  
"They will dig deeper and find out about your secret", Claire leaned back again. "Which will be the perfect excuse for your drug abuse."  
There was no way of despising this woman more that he did right now.  
"After I have shot you, Kara will make look your place like there had been a fight", Claire explained now cooler than ever, eventually fitting into her role and being comfortable with it.  
Evan's eyes wandered towards Kara who still was standing behind her like an avenging angel waiting to be let off the leash. There was something in the way she glared at him that made him want to take a step backwards but Claire kept aiming her gun at him. He knew that there was no way out for him. Eventually he would have to make a deal with the devil in order to safe his own life.  
"You don't have to kill them", Evan said. "Tess knows nothing and J.T. …"  
"Oh you know him?" Claire obviously was surprised and he scolded himself in silence for being so stupid.  
"Still Tess knows nothing", he tried to argue. "She's completely oblivious. She only tried to help Cat … Catherine. There's no need for killing her."  
"Too late for that, I'm sorry", she shrugged - Evan couldn't believe it that she shrugged it off, just like that.  
How would he be able to live with that? With knowing that he possibly was the reason for Tess' death? Why did he even speak out her name? Why had he been that arrogant?  
He dropped his hands. His shoulders slumped.  
"Shoot me then", he said with the voice of someone who embraced death like a friend.  
He wouldn't be able to live with the knowledge of being responsible of a friend's death.  
Claire swallowed but quickly regained composure.  
"You chose then", she stated and Evan prepared himself for the shot, not closing his eyes but looking at Claire straight forward.  
"How about no", Kara's voice suddenly filled the room.  
Her movement was so rapid that only Evan's subconsciousness was able to perceive it. There was a loud smacking noise of Claire's neck being broken.


	14. Error

∴ Chapter 14 ∴ Error ∴ R ∴ (finished)

To be honest: she shouldn't even be here, but Tess felt like being imprisoned in her own apartment since she had been all alone there. Not that she wasn't used to this, but then again after all what had happened she would definitely have enjoyed someone's company. Meeting Joe at the station however wasn't the best way to start her day either. With Cat being officially on holiday it was typical for her to be so as well but there wasn't anything that could keep her the rest she needed right now. Her mind was racing turning over the past events trying to cope with all of it just to fail. i was simply too much and she needed someone to talk. Downside: there wasn't anyone, at least no one who was allowed to know. So after going through some files, putting them into the archive and getting rid of the chaos on her desk she decided to leave. Today she wasn't in the mood to have Joe running up and down in front of her, giving her 'you-are-one-of-many' to the back of the parking lot she inhaled deeply - not that the air was any fresher or smelled good, which it didn't - enjoying the somewhat silence out there. Maybe it was a little too silent. Right before reaching her car she turned around. An engine just started but there was no one following or even looking at her and the the rest of the lot looked almost forlorn.  
Then she turned around and jumped, knowing that she should have known better. Dropping her keys her hand was already at her holster before her mind told her instinct to calm down.  
Connor bend down to get the bunch and hand it over to her with a roguish grin.  
"Did I startle you?" he asked innocently, but there was no way for him to look or appear like he sounded - at least in her eyes.  
"Haha, very funny", Tess tried to remain earnest. "I could've shot you."  
"No, you couldn't", Connor's response was instant and his grin grew.  
"You want me tot try?" she raised her eyebrows, smirking slightly, and eventually took her keys, but the answer she got was not at all the one she had expected: "Are you flirting with me?"  
"What?!" it wasn't really shock in her voice, he just completely startled her - again.  
"Just checking", he chuckled.  
"So what, are you stalking me now?" Tess changed the topic and stepped past him towards the driver's door of her car.  
"One could put it this way", he shrugged, leaning against the vehicle just next to its lock and meeting her glance as her eyes narrowed: "I mean hanging out in a police station's parking place isn't really the smartest thing to so, for a con."  
"The camera's won't recognize me, I'm dead", he shrugged and again Tess was stunned, even more as he added. "I told Cat that we all were con's and that wasn't a lie. I just forgot to mention that I was also convicted for murder. One I didn't commit but that wasn't the point. So officially Muirfield killed me. I guess now they realize their error."

The noise of the the shot was deafening, a snapping explosion echoing between the concrete and metal walls of the old building. This was the sound of death and J.T. wasn't even able to close his eyes or prepare himself to face it. So many thoughts and pictures rushed through his mind that even his subconsciousness was barely able to recognize them: his parent, his brother, Vincent, Sarah,all the things he still had wanted to do someday despite protecting his best friend. All of this would be gone.  
J.T. waited for the blast, the pain, hoping that it would be quick. But it didn't happen. Had Alex missed him? he blinked, staring at her in disbelief, still holding the gun with both of her hands pointed at him, smoke rising from the barrel. her expression was puzzling. She didn't look like she was surprised, yet completely and intensively determined. Then he realized that her lips were forming one word: DROP! And he did.  
Crashing onto the ground wasn't really nice but J.T. was doubtlessly sure about it that getting shot was way worse. He could hear Alex approach him slowly, securing the gun and her vice was trembling as she spoke quite clearly: "Pawn to tower, do you copy?"  
Obviously she was using some device but he didn't dare to move to look at her, continuing to embrace the pavement silently thanking that he was still alive. He definitely wanted to move in with Sarah now, unfortunately this just had moved way beyond grasp now.  
"Positive. Black Bishop has fallen", she continued, knelling down next to him, faking to feel his pulse and kept silent for a few seconds. "I repeat. Black Bishop has fallen. Going radio silent just as planned", her voice still was shivery as she continued, but it seemed perfectly fitting, since she officially shot one of her childhood friends. "I will continue the procedure. Checking in twelve hundred pm."  
Alex places something next to him and obviously used the gun to smash it. Just in the moment when he opened his mouth she somehow managed to put her fingertips on it. A shiver ran down his spine as he realized that she was waring gloves and doubt crept into his bones.  
So Vincent's ex-girlfriend never had gotten away. Instead Muirfield had taken her and obviously she had agreed to become one of them in order to safe her own life. Now they had send her - from all the people her - to kill him for whatever reason.  
Hadn't Doc said that he wanted him on his team? Then again that man wasn't really part of Muirfield was he. Did this mean that they were going after all of them now? He had to warn them. But still he didn't dare to move, even when Alex got up and moved around. She returned to hold a piece of paper in front of his eyes, telling him that they were still pointing some listening device at them and they would have to wait.

After this moment of nothing Vincent instinctively withdrew, lifting Catherine up briefly, making her tremble. The first thing he consciously perceived were her hands on his face. His face. Those were hands on her back, holding her and there were no fangs but teeth beneath his lips as he pulled her towards him quickly to kiss her. He was drowning in euphoria and relief.  
Catherine was still dazzled, seemingly far away until he yanked her back to him. Replying his kiss more than happily, she spread her fingers across his face to catch it wholly. His heart was hammering against her chest, arms shivering around her, but he was himself. And when she opened her eyes to look into his they had this soft and warm brown that seemed to wrap her in a comforting blanket.  
Gently he placed her onto her back again and fished for the coverlet to pull it up and cover them both with it. Instantly Catherine snuggled up to him, smiling radiantly with closed eyes. Even though his heart still was racing, he felt perfectly calm.  
Vincent was smirking as well as he brushed a strain of hair out of her face, supporting himself on one arm - not even noticing that it was his injured side - so that he could look down to her. She caught his and with hers, placing it against her cheek so that she could nuzzle her face into his palm.  
"I love you too", he whispered, as he remembered that he never had answered to her, which she responded with a chuckle.  
"You know it's ironic", Catherine opened her eyes and glanced up to him almost mischievously, definitely due to what was on her mind right now. "I might be the origin of you being not fully in control over yourself. But seems like I'm also the solution."  
She grinned now, even more as Vincent cocked one brow.  
"What are you trying to tell me?" he asked acting skeptical.  
"Well", Catherine grinned and let go of his hand so that she could place her own at his neck to pull him towards her. "That we might have to do this more often." She bit her lower lip: "Much more often."  
Grinning now as well he slowly moved his face closer to hers.  
"In that case", he answered lowly. "We will have to get a stash …"  
They stared at each other for quite some moments, when reality hit them.  
"If we actually ever get to learn to use that", Catherine heard herself say.  
"Did you get..?" Vincent brought out, unable to finish the sentence but pushing himself away from her.  
"Well I had but then got kidnapped", she responded dryly, letting her hand drop and rolled onto her back. "I have to get …"  
"I'm back!" Heather's voice sounded through the whole apartment and after her publication both Catherine and Vincent could hear a much quieter. "oh", since the bedroom door was still open and clothes scattered across the floor.

The room was filled with silence and for one moment time itself seemed to hold its breath. One probably could have heard a needle drop onto the ground if the world hadn't decided to keep turning, not giving a rat's ass about what just had happened.  
Evan's jaw dropped as watched in disbelief how Claire's lifeless body skidded sidewards onto his couch with her eyes still open in shock. Her gun slipped from her dead hands and fell to the ground softly, since there was not much distance to fall. Eventually his look jumped up to Kara who stood there the exact same expression on her face before she had taken that woman's life, glancing at him and Evan realized that her eyes had been on him the whole time. She had been looking at him while breaking Claire's neck without hesitation, without remorse. How could she claim to be a human being doing such an inhuman thing? Yet again he knew best that people killed each other on a daily basis and in much curler ways. This couldn't be an excuse.  
"Why on Earth did you do that?" he blurted out in horror, his shoulders hanging down, he didn't even have the energy to make gesture supporting his words.  
"It was you or her, you're welcome", Kara shrugged, making him feel even worse.  
Evan blinked at her before he looked back down to Claire and the gun beneath her on the ground.  
"But you didn't have to kill her!" his voice was louder than he had expected since he was barely able to breathe evenly.  
"She would have killed you. This was the cleanest way", she replied with a creepily calm voice, watching him in just the same way, not moving as if she knew that he would freak out even more; so she continued talking: "Going for the gun would have given her the possibility to shoot and maybe she would have hit you. I'm not a good medic and apart from that imagine the struggle afterwards. It would have ended up in me killing her and in a much more gruesome way. Even if you would have managed to get the gun, what would should we have done with her? Tying her up, risking that she might free herself, which would reveal me? Hand her over to the police? Which would have ended up in Muirfield getting her out? This was the only and most human way to keep the both of us safe and you know it."  
Evan glanced back at her again apparently more shocked with the situation than she had expected.  
"You're not really used to death, aren't you", she asked him, already knowing that he wouldn't reply. "Corpses aren't the same as", she looked down at the woman she had killed for the first time. "the body of a dead person. It's a difference. I get that. You knew her. Maybe I shouldn't have said that."  
As if his body wanted to proof her right Evan's knees turned wobbly.

Tess cocked one brow at Connor and this was the only response she had for him at the moment. Keeping silent, not opening the door of her car, she asked herself if she could trust him, even though her guts already had made that decision for her.  
"So what are you doing here?" she eventually wanted do know.  
"Being close to a police station is one of the best choices when you are hunted by a organization that doesn't exist", was his answer, but somehow she knew that he wasn't really truthful this time and her facial expression did not hide her thought, quite the contrary.  
"Well you are probably in danger", Connor shrugged, apparently he wasn't good at keeping secrets and wasn't in the mood of trying. "You were at the facility, probably they got to the public surveillance cameras. I can't tell what's going to happen next. But I'm not that type of guy that holes up and waits for the storm to be over."  
"So you thought you'd do something useful and protect me?" Tess laughed sarcastically. "Well thank you but no thank you."  
She hadn't heard it but as she looked back at Connor again he had a mobile in his hand, obviously a burner, because it seemed almost medieval. Nonetheless it made her frown and ponder why he would take the risk of carrying a traceable device around and how and with whom he was able to make contact. Though Tess would never admit it but the expression on his face cut a hole in her stomach: it was beyond dark.  
"Seems like Muirfield lost their patience", Connor spoke in a tone that matched his mine, not looking up at her but still staring at the display even though he wasn't typing anything. "They just gave orders to take everyone expendable out, which includes Keller's friend and you. Luckily," now he looked into her shocked face. "At least the one concerning you will never be given."  
He pushed himself away from the car, put his phone back into his pocket and walked around the vehicle apparently heading for the shotgun.  
"I'm sorry, but I need you to take me to Forbes place", he said.  
"Keller's friend", was all Tess managed to bring out, until her brain reset itself and she nodded, opening the door. "Right. Let's go."  
Cat's partner didn't think twice about it, and it didn't really matter if Connor was a con, a maybe murderer, a human with altered DNA, because someone was in danger, maybe even her best friend.  
"What about Cat?" she asked, starting the engine even before Connor had put on the safety belt, turning her head around so that she could drive backwards.  
"She isn't expendable as long as they …", he took a deep breath. "have her mother."

J.T. didn't move an inch, not until Alex would give him a sign. So all he could do was endure the increasing ache of his back due to his strange position and try to watch Alex move around possible looking for bugs. He couldn't tell since most of the time he wasn't able to see her.  
So he did the only thing he apparently could to: sorting the thoughts that where chasing each other through his head. In the end it was just one question over and over again: could he really trust her? It had been almost a year since she had gone and never heard of her again. Non of them had ever expected to see her again, and even less thought of the possibility that Muirfield had gotten to her. Turned out that this had been a mistake.  
Remembering how she just had acted, replying in such a military tone, it gave J.T. the chills. What reason had he to believe that they didn't manage to turn her, to brainwash her into a blind and obeying soldier? What is all of this was just a trick so that he would trust her? Muirfield and Doc weren't the same thing, he reminded himself.  
After Alex had moved around in the apartment she returned and placed something next to the basin close to Vincent's bed. She turned on the water and walked back to him, offering J.T. her hand, which he took to get up. Exhaling painfully he stretched and cracked his back, eventually daring to look at Vincent's ex-fiancée. He never had been a good actor so he didn't even try to hide his doubts. Double agent or not: she would expect him not to trust her that easily. And after all there still was the gun in her holster. Alex had a freaking holster.  
"We can talk now", she stated the obvious and pointed towards the basin on which a few tiny decided were laying - he didn't have to take a look to be sure that they were bugs.  
"So Muifield got you", J.T. saw no reason to be demure after she just had stop at him - it didn't really matter that she just faked it.  
"Yes", she said, and he tried to listen to the sound of her voice, if it was trembly, hoarse, higher or louder than it seemed right - not that had any idea if he did that one right. "I don't know how they found out on which bus I was, but they knew it. They took me when I was supposed to change rides. And they didn't leave me any choice."  
He simply watched her closely, not answering. Her voice was a little bit shaky, and is seemed absolutely normal for the Alex he had known.  
"They never asked me to sell you out", she continued and cleared her throat, standing in front of him, looking like a mess. "They just gave me one choice: go with them or die. What was I supposed to do? They never mentioned Vincent or you. Not even days after they brought me to their head quarters."

Vincent and Catherine looked at each other stunned for one moment. This situation was shocking enough that they really didn't need Heather busting the two of them right now.  
"I was heading to the shower!" Cat shouted out, quickly getting out of the bed, putting on the first piece of clothing she got into her hands, which was her old sleeping t-shirt which she had given to Vincent so that he had something to wear, since his was spoiled by a gunshot and blood.  
Pushing the remaining clothes out of Heather's sight with her feet she smirked towards her little sister, trying not to show her embarrassment about this situation. After all Heather had no clue - well almost no clue.  
"Cat, we need to talk", she responded earnestly to her, putting on her serious face that was rather adorable, but she seemed to be ignorant about the fact that her orderly sister had chaos in her sleeping room.  
"Can I shower first?" Catherine asked anxiously, hoping that Heather didn't notice that her bid sister was wearing nothing but that shirt. "I need to …"  
"Okay, go, go!" Heather rolled her eyes and her sister turned around to look at Vincent, planning to give him a sign to go to the bathroom, but he wasn't there anymore - just like his clothes.  
Cat had no time to even frown because in that very moment her little sister entered the room, obviously a little confused about the fact that there were less pieces on the ground than she initially believed to have had seen.  
"I need that box of old pictures of Mom, mind if I take a look?" she asked innocently.  
"It's in the living room!" Catherine shouted out indignantly, just to notice that Vincent was in the kitchen, erasing any evidence of their brief breakfast.  
So she stopped her sister by her shoulders in the very moment she wanted to turn around, trying to speak calmly and fitting to the fake smile on her face: "What do you need them for?"  
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about", Heather exhaled dramatically. "I think…" but her sister cut her off as she saw that her secret boyfriend was gone again: "Yes, after the shower and I need to wash my hair."  
"Yeah, you're right", the younger one looked up sceptically. "That hair is in need of some conditioner. You must have had a wild night."  
"You have no idea", Catherine's tongue was faster than her brain.  
"Oh, you have to tell me about it!" Heather instantly was excited, and nudged her into her side as her sister shoved her out of her room. "That PI of yours, right?"  
"SHOWER!" Cat tried not to shake her.

It wasn't that he felt dizzy but like the world suddenly had turned into a ship that had dropped into a tempest. Evan knew if he would move, he most certainly would meet the ground, and much to close to Claire's dead body.  
"Sit down!" these two words weren't yelled but spoken out emphatically so that he instantly obeyed without thinking at all.  
He couldn't take his eyes off the corpse as if he was waiting for the moment that the woman he knew would turn into something else, something non-personal, something scientific. But it didn't happen.  
Instead suddenly Claire seemed to look exactly like her, Leila Burrows, the woman he had killed. Though the suit had been filed, though they said it hadn't been his fault, it hadn't changed a thing. Still her was guilty. He had caused her death, she was dead because of him. And now Claire.  
Saving Cat on that road had been the first time since years that he had felt back in cadence again, but all of this was gone again.  
His hands started to shiver slightly, but turned into trembling just when he realized it and Evan could sense how his whole body was about to shake as suddenly a barrier shoved itself between him and her. And he looked up automatically to see Kara's determined face, yet somehow it seemed soft.  
"Drink", she commanded in almost the same tone as before, making him remember that it had been her who had told him to sit down.  
Without any hesitation he took the glass of water from her, but he was shaking so terribly that he almost spilled everything if Kara's warm hands hadn't suddenly wrapped themselves around his cold one. Evan shrugged because he simply hadn't expected that the hands of a killer would be something else than icy. He watched how one of her hands let go wandering down, to get his free hand that was shaking in his lap and placed it around the glass as well. Still he didn't manage to bring it up to his mouth. With a deep sigh Kara eventually gave in and led his movements.  
As Evan could feel the water run down his throat he realized that he had looked up to her the whole time not pulling his eyes away from hers, just like her. Yet it wasn't the water that stopped his body from shaking, that softened the effects from the shock, but her hand stroking his hair. Instantly he froze, managing to swallow down the sip of water in his mouth instead of choking on it.  
"Hey, you are the Doctor", she grinned crookedly, retreating her hand. "You should know that this is almost the best way to get someone out of shock. Creates this enzymes that makes you feel comfortable right?"  
"Almost", he repeated and his voice sounded not like his own.  
"I don't kiss on the first date", Kara frowned playfully.  
"You just ruined the moment", was his sarcastic reply.

Again J.T. kept silent and his face mirrored his skepticism. Though he wanted to give Alex the benefit of the doubt, because she was a childhood friend, even though they barely had spoken throughout the last years. Maybe that exactly was the root why he wasn't able to believe her like that. After Vincent's official death they both had mourned, but he hadn't been able to cope with her devastation and his own loss so that they slowly had drifted apart. And then suddenly his dead best friend had been standing in front of him, pulling him into this world from which he had known that he had to keep her out of. So they had spoken to each other less and less, which eventually led to breaking off contact completely. So even if Vincent had been able to see the old Alex in her J.T. couldn't. It had been more than ten years and even though one might have the same day over and over again: no one was immune to experience and as far as he could remember Alex had already broke the law to follow her own morale compass. How could be me sure that he could trust her when he didn't even know her anymore?  
As he didn't answer to her, simply looked at her frowningly, and questioningly Alex decided to continue to relate: "They didn't ask because they already knew and I had no chance to warn you. What was I supposed to do? So I tried to meet their expectations and to gain their trust, tried to act as if I believed them and they explained again that they rather would take Vincent in and keep you alive. How should I not want to think that this was true?"  
J.T. couldn't help but start feeling sick, sill he kept silent.  
"That was when I met her and when I knew that everything Vincent had told me was right", Alex seemed to shiver and indeed she stepped towards the table and chairs in the center of the room.  
Reaching out and placing one hand on the backrest of the closest to her, she breathed in deeply, almost as if she was fighting nausea.  
There was no need for Vincent's best friend to ask whom she was talking about.  
"Catherine Chandler's mother, Doctor Vanessa Chandler", she returned her gaze to J.T. already expecting the change of his expression into confused surprise.  
Now he followed her towards the table but instantly sat down, which she took as invitation to do so as well. His eyes grazed across the weapon at her side and not until now he noticed that she wasn't dressed like she used to. In fact she was wearing a suit, just like a federal agent would. J.T. chose not to ask about that right now.  
"There had been talks about a fourth generation", Alex entwined her hands in front of her, avoiding his look for the first time, rather watching her own fingers. "And that they would work together with her facility again. It was the first time I really heard about it. However that was the reason why she was there, along with Doctor Donovan. Everyone called him Doc."

Catherine quickly shut and locked her door before she hasted into the bathroom where Vincent already had done with the door which led to the corridor. He had put his jeans on and looked like he was waiting to get the t-shirt back so that he could take off. Which was probably the best idea, however they both hadn't stuck to what was best or right or reasonable this morning and it didn't look like that would change anytime soon. This was obvious just by the two of them looking at each other.  
"That's not normal", Cat exhaled, asking herself if she would ever get used to him looking like that: bare-chested with his hair being messed up, which definitely was hot simply be the fact that it had been her doing.  
Vincent looked back at her likewise, but for a little different reasons: he saw how her pupils widened when her eyes focused on him, how her heart beat changed, from anxious to agitated, just like her breath turned shallow. Knowing that he did this to Catherine, just by standing in front of her made him react exactly the same way.  
Just when she took a slow step towards him, Heather's voice sounded into the bathroom, making them realize that they probably should at least switch on the shower if she shouldn't get suspicious.  
"I can't find it!" she shouted and Catherine exhaled, breathing in normal and turned towards the door: "TV board, right drawer in the back!"  
When she faced Vincent again he was just starting the shower and she marveled at his back, unconsciously reaching out to touch him and stroke her hand down across his skin.  
"I should probably go", Vincent said lowly, his voice a little more hoarse than it usually was, after he had turned back towards her and into her grasp, since Cat's hand was still on his back.  
She already had placed her free hand on his lower arm, before he had even finished his suggestion, making him realize that it was invalid.  
"Yes", Catherine answered, sounding rather raucous than whispering as she agreed with a slow nod; her glance was wandering sneakily from his eyes down to his mouth. "Since Heather's back."  
Vincent's hands moved to her sides on their own, acting completely opposite to his words, as he respond half murmuring: "Right."  
He wasn't even able to hear himself because his own heart and her were pounding that loudly in his ears, and they sped up as he pulled her close. Catherine's gasp came close to the sound of a sword being pulled out of its scabbard.  
"This is not normal", she exhaled tonelessly as she brought her hand from his back to his shoulder, resting it on his collar bone.  
Sensing his skin, the fibers of his muscles beneath her fingertips was enough to make her shiver, since it brought all the memories back.  
Vincent expressed his agreement in kissing the air out of her lungs.

Evan felt how he quickly calmed down, how the tension inside him that caused the tremor faded away within seconds, and he knew this wasn't normal. Looking at the now empty glass in his his hands as Kara let go of them, he frowned and glanced up at her in the same way.  
"That wasn't just water, wasn't it", he stated, there wasn't a questioning tone necessary since he already suspected the answer.  
There was a sour taste on his tongue: lemon, but just a hint, and he guessed that is simply should hide whatever she had added as well.  
"Don't worry, I didn't drug you", Kara responded calmly. "Just a shot of booze to calm you down. It'll fly off in the next minutes. You should know that it's just hammering you because your circulation is way off track. I need you alive and kicking."  
With that she patted his cheek and pulled the glass from his hands. For the glimpse of an eye he thought of her leaving him with Claire's dead body again, returning the glass to the kitchen. So her taking his hand and yanking him onto his feet took him by surprise and he almost stumbled after her.  
Evan didn't think anything about what was just happening, because the corpse in his living room was too much of a distraction. Eventually - as he wasn't able to see Claire anymore - he found himself in the kitchen with Kara placing the glass onto the counter, next to the basin. The daylight was falling into the room with blazing rays making her blond hair strangely glow which almost looked like a halo.  
Somehow this seemed like a bad joke.  
"Listen up, Tommy", Kara listed her finger, forcing him to focus on her.  
"It's Evan", was his dry reply.  
"Nice to meet you, Evan", she simpered. "Since we're obviously already on first name basis you can call me Kara, but again, Evan", she emphasized his name now, "listen. Muirfield will expect to hear from her in", she looked at her watch, " forty minutes and unless you aren't able to mimic her voice I'd say we take a leave."  
"And leave the body here?" Evan doubted.  
"You want to take her with us?" she asked back.  
An awkward silence spread between the two of them and slowly became disturbing as Kara slowly stepped towards him, violating his personal space. Evan's retreat was quickly stopped by her pushing his shoulder backwards and him against the fridge.  
"They will be here in approximately an hour when she doesn't report back and they will take care of it", her voice was stripped of every softness and kindness, presenting the cold facts and for a moment Evan was stunned.

J.T. was freaking out in silence, waiting for Alex to continue, while he tried to understand why she was pouring her heart out. Maybe to gain his trust? Or to relief her bad conscience? To ask for forgiveness? or for help? maybe all of it? Secretly he was glad that she was telling her story to him, simply because it bought him time. Time to figure out what to do when she would be finished, since he had absolutely no frigging idea.  
"Since I was a nurse Doctor Chandler asked for my assistance and since I'd been there long enough that I had gained a little trust they signed me in to work for her as long as she was there", Alex still watched her own hands, though she placed them onto the table now, palms down, fingers spreading.  
It was not until she continued that she looked at J.T. directly: "She knew me. One day when we were alone she told me that she knew who I was. That I had been engaged to a man named Vincent Keller and she expected me to be here because I had been in contact with him."  
His best friend swallowed dryly.  
"So I told her everything and only her", Alex voice almost fainted now and he started to hold her own hands again. "And she explained to me what they had done to Vincent, that she had been a part of it and that Muirfield never would be interested in reversing what they had done, because they wouldn't see any use in it. But she would."  
J.T. felt like he just had touched an open power cable.  
"Yes", Alex nodded and smiled insecurely. "After she left for New York we were keeping contact. In fact I'm her sort of liaison-officer, even though Donovan wasn't happy about that."  
There was too much information to digest right now and Vincent's best friend had no idea where to start.  
"J.T., She wants out and we had a plan to get out, all of us", Alex leaned towards him, somewhat encouraged by her own words. "But Donovan had his own agenda and everything went upside down. Muirfield started to mistrust him earlier as we had planned to and now they have send me over here to kill you, to prove my loyalty, because Donovan demanded that you were to be kept safe."  
He lifted his eyebrows. Once again he had gotten into crossfire and this time even without doing anything. Just because this insane Doctor Evil had spoken out his name he was on Muirfield's people-to-kill-list.  
"Time is running out", Alex caught his attention again. "We have to get her, before Donovan realized that she is betraying him and before Muirfield goes after them. Right now they think that Vanessa wants to return to them to work on the new generation,but as soon as they realize that one of their third has gone rogue…."  
Now she had lost him and it was written all over his face.

Catherine pressed herself against him, entwining around his as if he was her escape rope. Again she knew that this wasn't normal, but somehow she couldn't help it. We was like a magnet which gravity was impossible to escape. There was no way for her to stop running her hands across his skin and through his hair. His presence alone seemed to be enough to annihilate her sanity. This couldn't be normal.  
Sensing her body against his Vincent was unable to even think of stopping. Catherine's scent was intoxicating, seemingly stronger than he remembered. He couldn't stop kissing her, couldn't stop his hands from sneaking beneath that only piece of clothing covering her and her touch almost drove him insane. She was right, this wasn't normal. Even though they had needed so much time to get here and therefore it was somewhat understandable that they weren't able to keep their hands from each other there should be some point when the first wave was easing of. But it didn't, instead it seemed to become worse.  
After pulling the shirt off her body his hands caught her face, clawing into her hair and Vincent could sense this tearing tension inside him, like it grew every time the Beast awoke from its slumber and this time it was full on instantly. He pulled back and looked at Catherine, whose fingers already had been busy on his jeans. And there was no way telling by the expression on her face if his eyes already had changed or not. Vincent only knew that they had because he felt it. Yet his clothing fell to the ground and she pulled gently at his hand as she stepped into the shower.  
Luckily the hot water was relaxing even though her lips on his mouth burned even hotter. There was no way with standing her and obviously she wasn't able to stop herself as well. Again her words and his thoughts echoed in his mind. This wasn't normal and somehow he knew that he wasn't blindly driven by the beast, even though it tore at his insides in a crazy rage, demanding from him to take her right now and he wanted to. More than anything.  
"You're right", he exhaled as he ripped his mouth away from hers just to bite into her neck softly and she gasped for air in response. "This isn't normal", and as if he wanted to underline his words and their meaning, he pushed her against the cold tiles of the wall and barely enough to bring a little space between them.  
Catherine knew it and her mind tried everything to make sure that this did matter to her, but obviously it was losing the battle because the sight in front of her eyes was simply too distracting: wet hair, water running down in little streams, drops pearling. It was physically painful.  
"I know", she breathed out, while her hands ran up his chest. "The infusion."  
They just looked at each other for a moment, their faces in chaos, dancing between concern, trouble and desire, while they were trying to think.  
Her hand moved to the back of his head as he crushed his lips back onto hers, lifting her up from the ground so she wrapped her legs around his waist. There were two reasons why she exhaled sharply as he pressed her against the wall for a second time.

Moving his jaw like he always did with reason collided with his emotions he tried to bring chaos back into his mind, noticing too late that he kept staring down at Kara, who replied his gaze as if she was monitoring him. her hand was still placed on his shoulder, still pinning him against the fridge and it still was warm.  
Just like she had promised, he could feel the alcohol in his system fade off, while he was pondering about his situation and looking at her.  
"Why are you helping me?" Evan eventually asked her.  
Kara's ostensible response was letting her hand slide down his chest, not turning her eyes away, not changing her expression. She made him shiver and there was no denying it, which was most of all disturbing. Even more as he realized that she hadn't backed off and still stood much to close to him. However he wasn't stupid enough to take that for an answer.  
"Why are you helping me?" he repeated and a tiny smirk appeared on her face.  
"Who said that I am helping you?" she answered questioningly and tilted her head before she took a step backwards. "We need to go. Follow me."  
"And if I refuse?" he heard himself say, goosebumps crawling over his skin since she had asked this question minutes ago and he still remembered the outcome of that.  
Kara looked at him as if she had no idea what to tell him, and flinched for a second almost as if she had wanted to move back towards him again. Suddenly he saw how tense she was, maybe already the whole time. Her pupils were slightly widened, her breath faintly shallow and there was a thin film of sweat at her temples. Had she been like that the whole time? Evan was sure that he would have observed that at least until Claire threatened to kill him.  
"Muirfield cannot have you", she replied just as he wanted to ask her if she was okay.  
Apart from the fact that she was a cross species - a human with altered DNA, he corrected himself - and that he didn't know her, Kara had saved his life. But right in that moment he wasn't so sure about her intentions any more.  
"You saved my life so that Muirfield wouldn't get me?" he regretted his question while he was saying it.  
"Evan", Kara suddenly was so close to him that he could feel her breath on his skin and watch her dark brown eyes slowly turn golden as she was speaking slowly. "I saved your life because I wanted to save it. It would have been easier to let that bitch kill you. You can leave with or without me as long as you are leaving this apartment for at least the rest of the day."  
What he saw dazed him that strongly that his mind needed seconds to comprehend her words and the situation. How close she was and how little disgusting or appalling it felt. Even more as when he finally understood what she had said.  
"And I wouldn't want to bite someone who's dead", a grin appeared on her rolling lips.

J.T. knew that he had to start asking question if he ever wanted to make sense of what Alex told him, but still he doubted that he could trust her.  
"So Catherine's mother is alive and not working for Muirfield any more, but collaborating?" he gave it a try. "But secretly that's a façade because she's trying to get out of this and she will be able to cure Vincent."  
Alex smiled almost happily now and gave him a nod approvingly.  
"Okay and you have been helping her all the time, being her spy in Muirfield", he lowered his voice like he was suspecting that they still were listening - if they ever had really done so.  
His friend's facial expression turned earnest again but she nodded once more. Then J.T. watched her tense and got up from her position, sine she apparently had head something unlike him. Just a second later the silent alarm went of, a red light flashing through the loft.  
Vincent's flatmate jumped to his feet and got over to a laptop, opening it and instantly showed four different pictures of the property. A car had stopped next to his. One that he already knew and he exhaled in relief. However he decided not to tell Alex why he relaxed and whom was visiting him. Not even as he walked down the stairs to wait for the visitor to knock. J.T. didn't realize that one of the two persons in that car was a stranger to him.

While driving they hadn't spoken, simply because Tess had no idea what they should talk about and Connor wasn't really talkative. Since Cat's partner already knew where Forbes was living there was no need to loose any time, but she didn't dare to use the siren to get there faster. Apart from that the man next to her didn't mind the speed she was taking. Tess asked herself why this might be. Could she really trust him? Yes, he had saved them, by locking them in and playing bait, pretty much breaking with his whole life becoming a fugitive. Yes, he had helped Cat to escape, but he also had admitted that he had lied to her, or at least hadn't been completely honest. But was this enough to trust him? Couldn't it be him leading her into a trap to kill her off?  
Those thoughts were still circulating in her brain when they walked through the forlorn fabric hall towards the office door which marked Forbes apartment door.  
She didn't even have to knock, because the wood was pulled away from her the moment she lifted her hand. Tess' gaze met J.T.'s whose smile faded as he saw Connor standing next to her. Even more: he turned pale and behind him a female redhead approached pointing a gun at them.

The tension in their lung was even higher, even more painful than the times before, because this time they had to restrain themselves for not getting exposed. Even though the knowledge of Heather being at the other side of the wall seemed to be a fading memory. All that mattered was their need for each other and Catherine didn't even feel how the edges of the wall tiled cut into her skin, not consciously at least. He set her on fire once again and this time she didn't care about anything any more, apart from holding her breath achingly. Once too often it was his mouth kissing her desperately, that muffled her sounds enough to that the water rushing down onto them silenced the rest. She needed this like she hadn't seen him in years and she wanted him that badly that she felt like tearing herself to shreds. Looking into his goldenrod eyes, glowing at her, Catherine knew that he felt just the same, If this really was the doing of the infusion they had given her, she wanted more of it.  
"Vincent", she gasped out, managing to move her hands from the back of his neck to his face, stopping him from kissing her mouth and nipping her neck, while sending tormenting waves through her body.  
"Please", she begged almost whiningly, but he wasn't sure what she was asking for, even looking into her beautiful eyes didn't help, only made this worse and the snarls of the Beast inside him louder, more demanding.  
The Beast wanted to hear her moan and whimper, for her to repeat his name over and over again. His name. It scared the hell out of him sensing how the thin line between what he always had managed to separate, mastered to keep apart faded away. And then again it was so arousing to know that Catherine didn't care, that instead she begged him for more.  
Vincent could hear himself growl lowly and could feel how goose bumps rushed over her skins beneath his fingertips, see how her eyes and pupils dilated, how her breath quickened, her heart beat jumped. Yet this wasn't panic, it was the complete opposite and again it freaked him out and turned him on just the same way.  
As he pulled her off of him and flipped her around, her palms creating a flapping sound as they touched the tiles, he knew that he never would want a cure, if that meant that Catherine would want him differently.  
Her moan wasn't contained this time as he entered her, still the shock about it made everything better. He watched her reaction to what he did, how she pressed her wet fingers against the wall, digging her fingernails into the seams, moving her head so that he could see her face, strains of hair covering parts of it.  
Those sounds that fled her throat, which she tried to contain, as he ran his clawed fingers down her back, was the most perfect nose he could imagine. Even though he had pinned her that tightly she still tried to meet his movements, arching her spine as far as she could, as if she didn't care that he could break it in a second. Quickly he eased the pressure just a little. The sounds stayed the same. Only now she was able to look back at him.

Evan looked down at her, who was almost afoot smaller than him, but not the tinyest bit less dangerous. In fact he knew that she could snap his neck like that, but still he didn't feel threatened, even though he probably should. On the other hand if Kara would have wanted to kill him, he'd be dead three times already.  
"I'm starting to believe that you are aggressively flirting with me?" he dared to throw a little smirk at her and her reaction wasn't really what he had expected, not that he had expected anything at all apart from her laughing.  
Kara grinned at him and he could literally see how the golden glow in her eyes softened, like a setting sun. Evan's face mirrored his fascination and it didn't fade though she moved even closer, with her eyes wandering down to his mouth. Unexpectedly his heart made a jump not of shock.  
"Too bad that I'm not human, right?" she whispered catching his gaze again and waiting for another one of his heightened heartbeats to pass before she stepped away as quickly as she had approached him before: with superhuman speed.  
He blinked and for a moment that was apparently everything he was able to do, which intrigued even more. Then he exhaled and nodded, leaving her to wait for his response, knowing exactly that she would ponder about how to take that expression: "Okay."  
This answer wasn't helping her much further either, but she instantly realized that he was playing around with her and by the way she smirked at him Kara seemed to enjoy that. Maybe a little too much, since there sill was a faint golden glow in her eyes, at which he couldn't stop staring.  
Leaning back against the counter in her back, she crossed her arms, not saying a words until he would clarify his own and he enjoyed how she smiled back at him slightly, realizing this in the very same moment: he enjoyed it.  
Evan pushed himself away from the fridge and decided to move further instead of standing straight, deciding to join the game which she seemed to have started the moment she had seen him. Stepping toward her he took advantage of his height, before he asked: "Where are we going?"  
Kara licked her lips, biting away a grin to a comment she didn't speak out but which Evan could imagine perfectly. He had to grin abut that fact. It just faded a little as her condition displayed itself in front of him. Still her eyes were slightly changed and her forehead was a little sweaty. He noticed that she was clawing her fingers into the wooden counter and somehow he could tell that her heart rate was increased.  
"Are you okay?" he questioned, sounding like a doctor that he was.  
"No", Kara responded honestly, placing one of her hands that looked a little different than before onto his chest, . "And that's a little bit your fault. Back to base one, Romeo."

So with J.T. standing between a redhead with a gun, a cop which he knew too well and a literally wolf-y looking guy with a grumpy glance he wished for a second that he simply could close the door again to make all his problems lock out with them. What happened next didn't even appear on his list of possibilities.  
"C..Connor", Alex brought out and lowered her gun, securing it and placing it back into her holster - a fact her old friend never would get over - but then again he was much to busy with silently freaking out that Alex a double Muirfield agent new a guy that reminded him of a wolf that wanted to chew on his bones had arrived with Catherine's partner.  
Maybe now was the time to write his farewell letter to Sarah.  
"Alex", Connor sounded as if he simply had to have the courtesy of recognizing her, however the atmosphere was electrocuted the moment their eyes met.  
J.T. was ignorant about that fact because he was rolling his own and turning away, so that Tess and her strange entourage could enter. He didn't even care to check if they would close the door behind them, just made sure that he was out of the way. The sound of it walling in its lock however was a slight relief. Tess on the other hand was a natural observer. The two of them - Connor and the redhead named Alex, which somehow looked familiar to her - definitely had history.  
"So you are the one that Muirfield send to take care of him?" she asked bluntly, drawing the attention of the other three people in this room onto her.  
"As a matter of fact: yes, but apparently she didn't do it", J.T. was the one to answer and he became more and more annoyed about the situation. "How much do you know? Because I don't want Alex to torment you with the extended edition as well, because I understood just a fraction of it."  
His glance crossed with hers and seemingly his words had hurt her, but she didn't say a thing. Instead her eyes wandered back to Connor, which was confusing him because it was Tess that Alex didn't now.  
"So you are on the same team?" Cat's partner dug deeper while J.T. started trying to understand the glanced his friend and the wolf-y stranger exchanged, because actually this Connor-guy was staring back at Vincent's ex-fiancée in just the same way.  
Now he only needed to figure out which emotion it was the two of them shared.  
"Hello?" Tess waved her hand. "Someone mind to answer me?"  
"I don't trust her", Connor answered in his husky tone oddly confirming J.T.'s theory of him being a wolf.  
And then just in this moment the bomb dropped to him and along with it his jaw.  
"Well I don't trust you either", Alex answered to that almost huffy.  
"You are … like Vincent", J.T. pointed at him and for the first time Connor tore away his eyes from the redhead and glared at him.  
"Still no answer!" Tess waved with both hands now.

Evan wasn't the slightest bit offended by the nickname she gave him, he wasn't truly aware of that, simply there was something else on which his thoughts had stopped. And that is why he let her push him away easily.  
"My fault?" he cocked one brow, unsure if he should be confused or feel honored, yet it had been Kara who had started to hit on him in the first place - she had, hadn't she? "What did I do?" he decided to add.  
The female beast in front of him, now one step of distance between them exhaled deeply but didn't take her hand of her chest which fingers dug into the fabric. There dropped no answer from her lips as she looked up at him. Yet again he saw Kara's condition and her eyes reminded him of what she was. This had to cohere with her altered DNA.  
"Am I doing this?" he heard himself speak even though if he had wanted to ask her something different, which he caught up. "This has something to do with your … condition. Can I …"  
He could feel her nails claw through the fabric of his pullover, grazing across his chest as she tensed and cut him off: "I am not sick", Kara exhaled word per word. "It's too early", she spoke more to herself now dropping her eyes off him. "It shouldn't happen."  
"What?" Evan's question came out harsher as he intended, but at least she looked at him again, frowning just like he did, until she realized that she was about to ruin his clothing, pulling him towards her.  
For the first time he caught a glimpse of her personality that he was able to read, when her eyes widened, staring in shock at her own hand for just a glimpse. Kara tore her hand quickly, instantly forming a fist, but still he was able to see that the nails had deformed to claws. By the way she pressed her fingers into the palm of her hand, Evan knew that she was hurting herself. And just like that her mask was back, though her right hand was still a fist, her face was calm and cool.  
"Is there something I can so?" he wouldn't give up so easily.  
That look Kara gave him after that was like accidentally getting too close to a cliff, and he hadn't expected it, simply because it was odd and crazy.  
"No," was her plain answer, swiping off every emotion that might have been left on her face, not even giving a snarky remark or a grin, to ease that moment.  
Finally - so it seemed - Evan was able to figure her out, but he wasn't sure if he really wanted to get a closer look to what lay behind these golden-brown eyes which pupils felt like two dark pits filled with a whole of a lot baggage. After all it had been her father who had done that to her for whatever reason.  
"So where are we going?" he eventually asked once more.  
"Depends", she responded and Evan didn't like that she had started to give one-word-answers.  
"On what?" - "On if Vincent Keller is really dead or just was dead for a moment."

The sudden silence was deafening and J.T. turned around in confusion to make sure that he hadn't missed a gunshot or anything like that. Much to his relief his "guests" were just glaring at each other and he let out a deep sigh.  
"Anyone coffee?" he asked resigned, and looking at Connor he added - simply assuming his theory was right, "or tea?"  
The guy pulled his eyes away from Alex as if they were glued to her, to respond J.T.'s glance: "No, thanks. And yes."  
"Yes, what?" Tess questioned in a softer tone as before yet her annoyance still resonated in her voice.  
"I've got enhanced DNA as Doc chooses to name it", Connor crooked one brow glancing at Cat's partner. "And yes, we should be on the same team", wit that he restarted the stare-down competition with Alex.  
"We are", she gave back unevenly. "At least I hope so."  
"That from you, Muirfield", Connor shot at her even before she had finished her sentence. "you believe you're a saint because of Vanessa helping you out."  
"We are helping each other", Alex stepped towards him just to instantly retreat, her thought written all over her face and that sight made his expression turn sour.  
"Whatever has happened between the two of you, keep it to yourselves", Tess pointed her index finger at both and J.T. nodded in agreement, while she already continued. "So when your official employer goes after all of us: who is warning Cat and Evan?"  
J.T.'s heart wanted to drop, just to get caught by Connor's calm reply: "Kara", and wondered: "Who?"  
"The one that helped you out at the facility where they had kept Cat", J.T. was relieved to at least know something.  
"Kara as in … Kara Donovan?" Alex question caught the attention of all three, but since she was looking at Connor again, Tess and their host turned their eyes on him as well; and much to their discomfort he shrugged.  
"You don't know her family name", Tess spoke out the obvious.  
"We never went by family names", he answered plainly, but there was something in his features that made her frown: "You told me that this scientist's name was Donovan." and he replied with a brief nod.  
"She's his daughter", Alex explained and added in outrage. "You are trusting Doc's daughter to warn Vincent?!"  
"Doctor Chandler does", Connor narrowed his eyes as if she had insulted him, in fact his whole posture changed from relaxed to alerted and again J.T. felt awfully reminded of a wolf. "If she trusts her, I trust her. She's on your team.  
"You mean your pack", Alex almost spat out, confirming J.T.'s assumption.


	15. Evanescence

• **Chapter 15 • Evanescence • [R] • **

Doc had tempered with Cat's hormones: there was no way to stop. They didn't even want to and almost didn't care. Again it was different than the time before. They both could feel it. With each turn it seemed like Vincent's worry lessened and his confidence grew, getting used to the special tension Catherine created inside of him. Secretly he knew better, knew that he simply was learning to feed the Beast inside of him, allowing it to place a paw at his steering wheel, since Catherine didn't mind. Somehow she had already gotten used to the fact that his eyes started to glow in that special golden color and she knew that holding his face softly, kissing him, would calm him down in a way that only she was able to.  
Anyhow in her current position she wasn't really able to do so, this was why she tried to at least give him a glance on her face. As if he had heard her thoughts Vincent bend down, placing his left hand above hers, interlacing their fingers, while he continued to thrust into her, slowly, wrapping his free arm around her body to pull her towards him.  
Catherine arched her head back, trying to find his face to press hers against it and she succeeded, because Vincent yearned to sense her face as well. All the while time was running out, with the chance growing that Heather realized what really was going on. Again they knew but didn't care. For less than a second maybe both of them wondered if that was an effect of Doc's doing as well: being careless. She knew that she didn't need any drugs to want Vincent with every fiber and bone, but she wouldn't risk getting exposed, even with locked doors. That Vincent had even more trouble to hold himself back, to restrain himself and that beast hiding inside of him, that he had learned to control slowly, this had to cohere with whatever was in her system. Cat could remember that Connor seemed to have trouble around her, but not too much so that he hadn't been able to control himself.  
An abrupt change in Vincent's movement tore her away from her thoughts, making her realize that the agents in her blood seemed to fade. At least when it came to erasing her reason. However Catherine managed barely to muffle a whine, feeling electrocuted through the force he suddenly used at her. Not that she did mind being drowned by his sensation, or that she felt his fingernails piercing the skin on her stomach, or that she saw that his hand above hers wasn't really a hand anymore. Still his face was placed against hers, yet he had started to lick her neck, softly biting into the soft skin with something more than teeth.  
The line was smudged that devastatingly that it almost had vanished. Vincent felt it in that very moment as the Beast broke through the surface without him even trying to stop it. It wasn't like being taken over anymore, more like something absolutely natural. No fear, no shock and therefore no hesitation as he gave in to the yearn of being as deep inside of her as possible, to hear her whimper.  
"Catherine", his hoarse whisper were ragged sounds of a voice much too deep and hearing it made her gasp and tense lightly, pressing herself against him.  
His Catherine.

"Hold on!" J.T. almost shouted, becoming rather annoyed than confused or freaked out. "Here are non-secret-organisation-with-secret-knowlege-and-code-words-people present. Would you stop hitting us with words like that and stop" he moved his index finger between Connor and Alex who already were glaring at each other again, "whatever this is?"  
"Our teams are called packs my Muirfield", Connor explained in a cool tone, while Alex's face was flushing red in embarrassment and anger.  
"It's because they are packs", she joined the explanation, ignoring that the man whom she just had cut off inhaled deeply and closed his eyes, trying to contain whatever emotion needed to be contained.  
"It's more complicated as that", he eventually said and chose not to look at her. "But", Connor added quickly. "It's because of the canine DNA."  
"That's ... crack", Tess commented drawing his glance unto her, which was accompanied by a shrug.  
"And they do act like one", Alex addressed J.T. and looked at him as if that was really important. "Doctor Chandler explained to me that the canine DNA is a main component, though they have altered strains of it in ... Connor's generation, it's still the basis."  
"Canine", Tess repeated obviously disturbed by what she was hearing right now.  
"They have tried to give more attention to the strains that define social behavior", Alex continued, making a meaningful pause so her words could sink in, knowing that none of the three persons in this room would feel comfortable with it.  
"Wolf packs are extremely loyal", Connor spoke before she got the chance to pick up where she had left off and their glances met again, this time with less anger. "And once each wolf has more or less found its place it stays there and follows the lead of the wolf that is leading the pack. What Miss Salter is trying to tell you here is: that Muirfield believes that their altered humans can be programmed to loyalty and obedience."  
"And", Alex took over again. "That they have underestimated this social behavior in the first two generations."  
"So what about Vincent"; J.T. asked her, knowing that when it came to her, it would have to do with him.  
"They believe that his generation chose wrong and various pack leaders, which lead to chaos, since the leader wasn't with them in field, so there was no one leading or controlling them", Connor answered instead of her and apparently he didn't agree with that theory.  
"They believe that most of them saw Vanessa Chandler as their leader because she cared for them", Alex sounded uneasy as she said that. "The emotional attachment. ..."

Evan was startled for a moment. Kara really was questioning what he had said earlier and of course Kara was right: he never spoke out that Vincent Keller was dead, just that he had died. And this made him wonder if she had witnessed something similar. Yet it was more important to know if he could really trust her with that information, catching himself with wanting to trust her.  
It was like being saved by the bell without really wanting it when something buzzed in her pocked, because she took her eyes of him. Realizing that made Evan feel a bit more than just a little uncomfortable. Kara was oblivious to this, when she pulled out her mobile and answered it without taking a look at the display.  
"Kara here", her voice seemed slightly different, colder than before.  
Apparently avoiding looking at him she turned away from him at least that much that he could only see half of her face covered by her hand. But that wasn't really important right now, because his eyes wandered down to the tensed fist, waiting for the first drop of blood to run down the skin and as it actually did, Evan felt like watching it in slow motion. What he heard her say, was ripping him out of it.  
"I killed her, just like you proposed when the situation would turn into what it did", Kara reported matter of prosaically, as if she wanted that person to believe she was free of emotions. "I am trying to find out right now, Dad."  
The last word struck him like lightning and thunder. Evan didn't want to believe that she was working for Doc, but of course he was her father. Why should she betray him? Instantly his mind started to work and he tried to understand the circumstanced of their escape. What if they had planned for them to get out, what if they never wanted to imprison them all? They must have known that Muirfield would go after all of them. Him having to leave his world behind there would be no other reasonable choice than to join Doc and whoever financed his project.  
There wasn't another word said, from her side at least, before she hung up, shoving the cell back into her pocket with her other hand still clenched into a fist, even though a single red drop darted down to the ground in a perfect ankle to draw a perfect circle onto the gray tile.  
"You are hurting yourself", Evan stated the obvious, trying to be as ice cold as she appeared to be, and took her hand too gently for his own perception.  
He made her flinch, which confused him, startled him, simply because it didn't match the puzzle he tried to put together that was her. Even more because of the way she looked at him, giving him another brief glance onto what lay beneath this iron image she kept up so vigilantly: so fragile.  
Kara watched him like the lion monitored David pulling the thorn from his paw, as Evan fought just to stare at the fist he opened finger for finger. No claws, just nails, still he could see where she had ruptured the skin of her palm as if she had grasped glass tightly.

This pressure turned unbearable and Catherine instantly knew that he had changed, not sure if he had lost control as well. Her fingers tensed around his clawed once and she managed to bring up her right hand so that she was able to touch his face. It didn't even shock her to sense his warped features.  
"Vincent", she breathed out. "It's..."  
There was no chance for her to continue because he already reacted to what he expected from her to hear. Or so it seemed. He pulled her away from the wall, flipping her around to face him - or rather the beast. Cat wasn't scared, just confused since she had no idea what he was planning to do. Water was running off of him, reminding her of what the original plan had been.  
Even though in their yellow-y golden color, it still were his warm, soft eyes. Even though his features looked more like carved out of concrete, it still was his caring face. And Catherine felt no fear. Not even as his hands groped her hips, pushing her up, forcing her to wrap her legs around him once more. Her expression didn't change a second. There wasn't any difference for her. This was just appearance. Catherine knew that he was still Vincent. Her Vincent.  
Placing her hands onto his face, she met him right there, keeping her eyes on his, not moving them away, not until she closed her own, pushing the back of her head against the wall behind her, as her back met the tiles. And with that she could feel his lips and teeth against her neck like glowing coals, sending down a burning blaze right though her veins. Her hands did nothing more than to encourage him, pushing his head closer to hers. She could feel his mouth move up along her sinew, across her jaw, making her instinctively move her head back towards him, meeting his movement till their lips finally joined.  
Vincent barely thought, just sensed and there was nothing but her. Even the hot water numbing his skin seemed almost non-existent. He knew that something had changed but there was no space in his mind left to think about it. Everything was consumed by the need to have her close. To be one with her. And the fact that she met him the way she did without hesitation, without a twitch of one single muscle made this sweetness unbearable.  
Her touch calmed him in a strange way, since it didn't lessened the tormenting yearn he had for her, but eased the cutting edges. Vincent had never been able to accept himself for what he was, until Catherine, until she showed him that it didn't really matter, that there wasn't any difference. With her everything seemed to be so simple, so clear, so meant to be, that he just knew it had to be a dream, that there would be a hatch that big to crush them both to dust.

Emotional attachment. As J.T. and Alex exchanged glances both knew where these two words were pointed at, but unlike her who seemed to be hopefully concerned in a strange way, he felt close to being sick. She was implying that Vincent's feelings might be based on something that could be erased. He didn't blame her, knowing that she was just completely worried and over her own head in this.  
"Given an order by their pack leader, no member would hesitate to take it out", Alex continued more or less talking to her friend now.  
Of course it would make sense to her. If Vanessa Chandler had told Vincent at some time to look after her daughter and protect her he had followed this order scrupulously.  
"Are you sure about that?" he heard himself ask and followed her eyes towards Connor as she responded in a shivering voice: "Ask him."  
"What...?" was the only thin Tess was able to bring out, her whole body being a frown as she looked at the man next to her as well.  
And he obviously didn't feel comfortable at all being the one to be stared at.  
"To prove it, Doc was asked to give an example", Alex chose to answer for him after moments of silence had passed. "Ordering him, to kill me."  
Another silence crept into the room like black ice. And again everyone stared at Connor whose facial expression was beyond grumpy.  
"Needless to say that Doc needed to recant his order, otherwise I wouldn't stand here", her tone turned bitter.  
Again the two of them glared at each other. But their glances were different now, filled with pain and regret that never could be healed. It was more than obvious that they had known each other better than just being a sort of colleagues, that they had been friends. Maybe this exactly had been the reason why Doc had used them for his demonstration.  
Tess and J.T. both looked at Connor now in disbelief, now doubting if they could even trust him, something that had seemed - at least for Tess - so easy before. Still he allowed the cold silence to sneak into her bones, feeding the doubt, letting the moment to apologize pass by like there never had been one.  
"I'm my own pack now", he simply said rather weakly.  
"I doubt that", Alex retorted. "You are following Vanessa now. Where's the difference?"  
The way he stared at her seemed bitter. He didn't give an answer to invalidate her words but nothing at his posture told that her argument was as strong as she wanted it to sound like.

Not looking up Evan stepped sideward and let run the tap to hold Kara's hand beneath it and wash of the blood from her palm. When he stopped the water he was able to watch the blood leaking from the cuts that were deeper as he had expected and still he could watch how it already was healing. What worried him more in that moment was the tension in her hand. It almost looked like a spasm and her fingers didn't move automatically as he ran his index finger across her palm beneath the injury. Instead Kara tore her hand out of his grip.  
"Don't you want me to vet that?" Evan looked at her in slight confusion, which increased even more as he saw her nervously avoid his eyes.  
"It'll be healed soon and we need to go", she responded closing her hand carefully and he didn't say anything to that.  
They stayed quiet for a moment; her staring frowningly on her hand as if it felt strange and him watching her expression, trying to figure out why she behaved so differently. Evan was aware of her soon asking again if Vincent Keller was alive or not and he still didn't know what to answer.  
"Why did your father do this to you?" this question jumped out of his mouth like a mouse of out a cat's grip; it had been hiding in his head the whole time, kept him wondering, but he didn't want to be so rude to ask.  
His question startled her for a second and he watched puzzlement turn into anger and then - much to his regret - something that awfully resembled to pain. However Kara looked at him again, maybe even grateful to feel this emotion instead of something else.  
"He saved my life", was her respond, her face told him that she knew this statement would confuse him even more. "Even though I didn't deserve to be saved, but then again I deserve to be this. I am a killer after all."  
Evan frowned due to her speaking in riddles and she - still being completely aware of that sighed deeply. "Well I told you to ask and not to eyeball, so I guess I owe you at least that," she let her injured hand drop and turned her body towards him fully, inhaling deeply as if she was about to jump in icy water: "I killed my family."  
Kara didn't continue but despite that Evan looked at her in the same way as before, waiting and free of judgment. He already had been prejudiced enough for one day or maybe more - he told himself. In fact he really wanted to hear her story. It would help him understand her and he expected that it would help him to decide if he could trust her, finding out that was hoping for it.

Kara hadn't expected that and therefore tilted her head frowning slightly. The good thing about this was that she obviously relaxed a little, even though her eyes were sad and filled with guilt. Evan had his own theory about it and felt downhearted as she proved him right.  
"It's one of these stories", she eventually continued. "I went out for a party which I wasn't allowed to. For once in my life I wanted to be one of those rebellious kids before I went off to study medicine. I had expected my mother to freak out as she found out and called me, but she was freaked out about my baby brother who had suddenly become sick. He was two."  
Was - how the declension on a verb could cut a hole into one's stomach would forever leave him wondering, if it wasn't for her eyes staring completely dry and her expression turned to stone.  
"Of course I came back, got into a big fight with my boyfriend who drove me home and I was too embarrassed and angry to tell my mother that I had been drinking. And much too proud and felt so that after she insisted that I would drive them to the hospital: I did. I don't know if my reaction would have been any better, if I could remember what had happened. My father never told me and I had to find out myself."  
For a moment she closed her eyes and stretched her shoulders, breathing out as she tried to get over with. She looked at him directly as she continued, her face plain to anyone who wouldn't have watched her like Evan had.  
"However I was in a coma for months and the doctors told my father that they didn't expect me to wake up. So he took me out of the hospital and treated me along with Vanessa Chandler, Catherine Chandler's mother", her breathing was controlled, and not natural, like she told herself how to breathe in and out, which was why Evan didn't realize what she had been telling him for more than a moment.  
He was too distracted by her trying to stay in control.  
Cat's mother, Cat's presumably dead mother. Yet he didn't make a sound, just looked at Kara who still seemed to wait for something that seemingly didn't happen. Obviously he hadn't been the only one with a wrong picture in his head.  
"So becoming this", she pointed at herself, "saved my live and I owe my father four lives in return. This is why I never ever did something against his wishes. I would never be able to, since officially: I am dead."  
Kara shrugged and turned away from Evan. What she had said about her father gave him the chills. But there was something about the sound of her voice that fed his doubt. Yet it wasn't enough.

Even though the normal reaction to all of this would for Tess to move away from Connor, yet she didn't. Not because she believed that she knew better, but there wasn't any reason for her to do so; not in her eyes. He had helped them getting away. Maybe Cat's mom had told him to, maybe it was his own choice, and maybe he had chosen to listen to Vanessa Chandler. Right now there wasn't any difference. The only thing that mattered was that Connor was here to help them.  
"So you are trying to tell us that Vincent's ..." J.T. moved his hands as if he would be able to fish the right word out of the thin air. " ... protectiveness towards Catherine is following the order of her mother?" He needed to ask this, even though he doubted it with every fiber of his being and before Alex was able to answer to that, he followed his strain of thought: "Why would he have planned to leave with you then?"  
Tess face derailed as the truth about who this Alex was, literally punched itself into her guts. This was Vincent's ex.  
"To protect her", was the simple answer. "They would continue to go after him; I wouldn't have known anything if they caught me and Catherine Chandler would be saved."  
Obviously she had had enough time to make her mind about this.  
She shrugged and added: "Why else New York, when they probably expected him to go here and risk to meet friends and family?"  
"Because it is home", J.T. sounded peeved. "You have no idea what he had been through. Being reasonable was the least thing Vincent was able to do. He was a total mess and I'm glad he came to me and not wasted any thought or worry about endangering me."  
The look Alex gave to him was soft and he was sure that she thought she'd understand. After all she had had more than a year to try to.  
"I'm sorry, but we don't have any time for those theories", Connor suddenly spoke and made a step into the room. "Vanessa needs help to get out. I need to get her, but I need Kara and Vincent for that as well. And a cop or two might be helpful too", he looked at Tess who simply nodded. "Vanessa might be able to reverse what she has done and that's the only thing really important, right?"  
Alex and he exchanged icy glances again and he addressed her directly as he stated: "Everything else will be found out."  
Vincent's ex-fiancée didn't react to that, not directly. Probably she would never be able to ease up in his presence and he tried not to waste a thought about that. More important was the fact that J.T. and Tess agreed with him.  
"I'll call Vincent then"; his flat mate sighed.  
"No", Connor shook his head. "They are probably monitoring the flat with listening enhancers for phones. I'll tell Kara where to go."  
"No", Alex disagreed now. "I still don't trust her. You should call your partner", she nodded towards Tess.

Kissing him was kissing him. There was no other way to explain it. There were no two sides of him so why should she act like it? Vincent tasted like him as he brushed her lips across his and the sensation was the same, maybe even stronger as she felt that it was her kiss, calming him down. It definitely was the reason why she fell over that edge to suddenly, pulling her with him into this never ending fall that felt like flying since there was no real gravity. Just like this feeling right before a free fall of a roller coaster. But it was reality that pulled at both of them, making them crash down.  
Catherine could feel how he met his end inside of her, making her realize that even though she loved nothing more than doing this with him, it was the worst thing to do without protection. Then again this thought burned into ashes taken away by his hot breath as he kissed her. But the effect wasn't as strong anymore, because there still was Heather, she still needed to get her hair washed, Vincent still looked at her with that smoldering look that made her knees weak, she still need to get the morning-after pill, there still was her presumably dead mother needing her help, which her sister had no idea about, there still was Muirfield and there still was the devil of a doctor not knowing that his most beloved college was about to betray him just like one of his DNA-altered favorite solder hat done just a few hours ago. Insouciance seemed to be just a word fading into oblivion.  
Gently Vincent lifted her up, allowing her to place her feet onto the ground but she was fighting for balance, so he didn't let go of her.  
"I think you probably should go", Catherine looked up at him apologetically. "Otherwise I think we might start to break the furniture."  
His reply was an embarrassed smirk: "Heather definitely would hear that."  
She nodded and breathed in deeply, but her exhaling was trembling and worried. Vincent couldn't ignore that and his instant reaction might not have been the most reasonable one: he pulled her close against his chest. Quickly he closed his eyes and tried to focus and ignore the tension inside him that just didn't want to ease, this hunger that seemed to never be appeased.  
"It's in the middle of the day", Catherine murmured against his skin, knowing that she had to bring space between them, even if she didn't want to and silently she begged that all of this hadn't been just the effect of Doc's cocktail.  
"More or less the start of it", was Vincent's response.  
He didn't try to stop her as she moved away, quite the contrary, he stepped back as well, out of the shower, getting a towel and turned his back on her so that he wasn't able to watch her.  
"Cat! Your mobile is ringing!" Heather shouted through the door. "What's taking you so long!?"

Cat had turned her back towards Vincent as well, being busy to foam in her hear with shampoo almost hectically. Her mind was racing with all that had happened, would probably happen and those that might. It was the latter that more or less freaked her out.  
"I'm shaving!" she shouted back to Heather since it was the first thing that came into her mind:  
"Seriously, Cat, I need to talk to you about something important, like really important, okay?" her sister was standing in front of the door now making Vincent freeze for a moment and continue to move cautiously, being absolutely soundless, at least for both of the women in that apartment.  
It was more than just concern on his face as she looked at Cat who had washed out her shampoo and now was massaging the conditioner into her hair. Instantly she caught his expression and understood. Heather really wasn't okay.  
Vincent could hear her heart race and her breathing was shallow.  
"I'm sorry", Cat answered to her sister, becoming worried.  
Heather had been through some things in life - though nothing comparable to what her elder sister had experienced but still enough - but she always seemed to take things easily, nothing seemed to worry that much.  
"I ... I think Mom's alive, Cat", her sound was low, yet both on the other side of the door could hear it.  
"What?" Catherine's voice pitched a little too high, not believing what she had just heard and stopped the shower.  
"I saw her on the public surveillance Tom showed me", Heather continued hoarsely. "I ... felt like I was being watched so he hacked into the cameras and .. There was this car ... it was Mom. She looked exactly like Mom and she was watching me. Why should she watch me looking like her when she wasn't?"  
Catherine stumbled out of the shower and grabbed a towel to wrap her hair into it, taking another one putting it around her chest. She didn't dry herself off, and her eyes grazed Vincent just briefly before she opened the door that parted her from her sister. From the corner of her eye she barely could watch him vanish.  
Both sisters stared at each other, but while Heather's eyes were filled with tears and confusion, Catherine's were worried and concerned.  
"Are you sure?" she asked, holding her towel with one hand and gripping the upper arm of her sister, who simply nodded.

Why, just why had this to happen right now? There was no need to question how because Heather already explained. This guy Tom, this colleague of J.T.'s obviously knew how to get things done, stupidly far too well.  
"Let me put on some clothes, okay?" Catherine finally said trying to stay calm but her voice betrayed her.  
Heather's reply was merely a nod and she wouldn't have moved if her elder sister hadn't told her to wait for her in the living room, before she turned away, walking into the other direction.  
Vincent waited for her, standing in the middle of the room seemingly lost. They looked at head other knowing that this was another problem they had no time to handle, not if they would wanted to help Catherine's mother to escape. The whole situation never seemed to have been in control and it became even worse.  
"I have to lie to her", she whispered, shaking her head and forced her eyes to wander off, knowing that she didn't even have the time to talk to him about this or anything that needed to be solved.  
Vincent agreed with her silently, just watching her moves, keeping his own thoughts and worries to himself. It wouldn't help her anyhow.  
With a deep sigh Cat brought some clothes together and started dressing, remembering that her mobile had rung. Pulling on her t-shirt she walked to her night table and looked at the display.  
"Tess", she state and jumped painfully as the device rung again, to show the same name again.  
Catherine frowned at Vincent before she took the call: "Yes?" and he monitored her facial expressions as her partner talked to her at the other end, being able to understand her perfectly.  
The warm brightness of day seemed to fade into cold gray as Tess was explaining that Muirfield obviously had ordered to kill everyone who had nothing more but heard about them or met Vincent and that Alex was with J.T., Connor and her, being officially an associate of Muirfield's but actually worked with Vanessa Chandler, who needed to be extricated like five minutes ago.  
"I need to talk to Heather first", Catherine responded, looking up at Vincent wearily and worried. "She had seen ... her and is absolutely sure that it has been her. I have to make sure that she isn't drawn into this. I don't know what I would do if something happened to her. I don't even know if I can leave her alone. Someone has to look after her. This should be me"  
Her hand wandered to her forehead, her hair still clammy from the shower, soaking her t-shirt and changing the color into a darker one. Vincent responded her gaze, not sure what he should or could do. He wanted to pull her into an embrace, to comfort her, but he feared that this strange effect would hit again or - which might be even worse - that he would break the front Catherine obviously fought to keep up.

They exchanged glances like they needed to learn the other's foreign language. Evan wasn't sure why Kara had told him about how she came to be what she was right now. Although he had been the one asking her, he hadn't expected that she would be that honest and he truly wished that she had lied. Because then it would have been easier for him to trust her.  
"So Keller isn't dead", Kara spoke coolly, making him staring at her quickly shocked, and with that confirming her statement, yet he didn't say a thing. "It's okay", she continued with the look in her eyes seemingly softening. "I bet he isn't even at his usual place, right? Not that you know this, how could you..."  
Obviously she ended the sentence in her mind without speaking it out, which was something Evan couldn't stand, not even bear, but what could he do? There was still one thing and Kara was too puzzled about the fact that he left her standing in the kitchen to return to the living room, without saying anything and she herself was under too much tension to realize what he was about to do. Time was running out, Muirfield would be on their way soon.  
"Evan, we need to..." she followed him after rolling her eyes briefly but froze the second she saw him aiming Claire's gun at her.  
If it had been a different situation, he would have been amazed and intrigued by the fact that Kara had the ability to stand completely still. His hands wouldn't have started to shake as he watched her eyes turn honey-gold and her features harden and distorted into something beyond human, while she stood there like a statue. One which chest was heaving dramatically.  
"Don't. Move", he was able to bring out, trying to keep his hands calm.  
Evan blinked and he wasn't sure if she had taken the chance to disobey his order. He couldn't tell, but his guts made him doubt.  
"Change back", his own voice sounded strange to him, even more as he added this tiny little word that had such a big meaning: "Please."  
He didn't know what he had expected but most definitely not her tilting her head slightly, giving him a frown as if she wasn't able to comprehend his words. So Evan made a sliding step sideward and away from her, trying to avoid hitting against Claire's corpse. And Kara followed, freezing in just the same moment as he did.  
"Don't move!" he replied urgently, but his voice sounded rather pleading. "You said as long as I leave, you'd be fine with it. So I leave, without you."  
Again she moved her head bringing it back into an upright position.  
"I can't trust you; you do understand that, right?" Evan continued, frowning now. "Kara." He breathed in shallowly.

Evan had no idea if she was able to comprehend him but incapable to respond in a way he could understand her. All he knew for sure was that he didn't really care about her appearance, or which features reminded him of which creature, to ponder which DNA compound was showing in which way. There was only one thing important right now.  
"I don't want to hurt you", he said hoarsely, trying to swallow down the dryness in his throat. "And... something tells me that you don't want to hurt me. Right?"  
Although he was asking her this question, he wasn't aiming for an answer from her side. So he took that part and slowly lowered his gun, hands still shaky, but he hoped that this might calm her down and made her change back.  
Evan wasn't fast enough, his reflexes were to slow and his body to indolent in comparison to Kara. There was no way bringing up the gun again or shooting, no chance to dodge or retreat as she leaped forward in a breathtaking speed. As her hands slammed against his chest, right beneath his collarbones, Evan stumbled backwards, loosing balance after one and a half step before the impact, her weight and force made him fall over. Pulling the trigger was a reflex of his finger's muscles as he hit the ground, smacking his head, yet the noise was muffled by the sound absorber. Everything went black.

First it sounded like the ocean crashing onto a shore of stone, rushing painfully in his ears, until he realized that the pain wasn't originating in his hearing and that there was another sound. One that needed his attention. The actual hurt was pulsating from the back of his head and he remembered the smack as he crashed onto the ground, but there was another ache in his chest.  
Again this blurring sound, like he was held under water.  
"Be a man and wake up!" that at least was the first thing he was able to understand. "Dammit Evan. Don't play sleeping beauty we don't have time for this."  
Hands patting his cheeks, softly shaking his shoulders, patting his cheeks again.  
"You shouldn't really expect me to kiss you when you shot me", Kara gave back and his eyes flew open.  
His first instinct was to sit up instantly, but he was being held down by her, kneeling above him with her legs straddled across his lap.  
"It's okay", her eyes still were honey-colored, but she smirked down at him. "Just a graze but I appreciate your reaction. Shooting me however, not so much."  
"Your fault", Evan still fought against the ache of his head and pressed his eyes shut for a moment. "You jumped me as if I was prey."  
Kara waited for him to look at her again, taking a closer look at his pupils - or so it seems. However her answer was spoken out lowly, being mumbled: "Well you are."

Only after giving it another try Cat had responded the phone and Tess did have a bad feeling about flooding her partner with all this information. Especially telling her about the fact that the ex-fiancée had returned with such a crazy back story - she had no idea how much more Alex had told J.T. upfront. However she was worried about Cat even more as this didn't really seem to sink into her mind. And even more as she told her what Heather had believed to have found out.  
"And I don't want to be drawn into this as well Tess", Cat told her from the other hand and she could tell by the sound of her partner's voice that she was faking strength - she had learned to interpret the little nuances in it. "I know we had our difficulties, which I haven't been honest with you, but it was just for keeping you safe, and now I have to put you in danger." Tess had no chance to say something to this. "Can ... can you come over here? And distract her and protect her, for me?"  
It had been a long, long time since her best friend had sounded like that. In fact Tess had been there just once in the time they had known each other: when she had found out that her Dad was dating someone, just after dumping her boyfriend because of cheating on her and Heather dropping out of university. And she knew this was way worse than that.  
She nodded even though Cat wouldn't be able to see it, so she added a "Yes, sure, I'm on my way," and let her eyes wander across the room looking at the other three being here with her. "Right now."  
With that she finished the call and frowned.  
"I'm heading to Cat's to talk with her and make sure that her little sister stays put", she explained. "Apparently your friend", Tess addressed J.T. now, "is a hell of her hacker, practically showing Heather that her mother is still alive and of course she's freaking out now. You should wait here. She'll come over with Vincent so that you can make plans to get her mother out of whatever she's in."  
Tess' glance jumped between the two more or less strangers - not that she knew J.T. that much better - but she couldn't shake off the thought that she wouldn't see them again.  
"She wants me to stay out of it, and I begin to understand why", her eyes were on Connor now. "I think I should try to keep out of it as long as I have a chance, even though I'm not happy about it. This is crazy shit and I don't want anything else but help. But Cat doesn't need another one to worry about." Tess inhaled deeply and turned around to give J.T. an encouraging nod, being sure that he would have the same fate as her, before she looked at Connor again: "Take care."  
And with that she opened the door and left.

Catherine exhaled and closed her eyes with shoulders slumping, her phone almost sliding out of her hand if she hadn't readjusted her hold on it.  
"Well at least we had the morning", she sighed, looking at Vincent's feet, not even wondering how he had been able to dress himself fully, rather trying to read the pattern of the dies blood spatters on his boots.  
Sensing his hand at her cheek she closed her eyes again, feeling how it was enough to calm her down a little and lessen the darkness that seemed to surround her.  
The sound of Heather trying to open her bedroom door made her turn around, feeling the loss of the warmth of his hand even more. Catherine knew that he would leave, because she guessed that Heather would walk through the bathroom any second. She didn't need any super senses for that. Her right hand reached out for his left, quickly holding it.  
"Why did you lock your...?" Heather did just exactly what her older sister hat expected her to but stopped talking when she saw the man standing behind her Catherine.  
All the possible reactions rushed across her face, from shock to embarrassment but she didn't bring out a single word. And this told much about what Heather felt right now. The only thing that might have hinted to the younger one of the Chandler sister's that Catherine's emotional state was way worse didn't occur to her at all: that she literally was clinging to her boyfriend's hand. Heather might not have noticed, but Vincent surely did. Even though he wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do, he still stroked his thumb across the back of her hand gently.  
Catherine kept standing where she was, just tightening her hand around his a little which was covered from Heather because she stood in front of it. "There has come something up", her voice was surprisingly calm. "I need to get to work. It's ... a special case I'm working on with Vincent", she briefly looked at him. "But Tess will come over, okay?"  
Heather's replay was disbelieving frown and she didn't hold back that she felt hurt to be treated like this after what she had told her sister.  
"I'm really, really sorry, Heather", Cat let go of Vincent's hand, to walk towards her, placing her hands onto her shoulders. "Please believe me. If it wasn't that important I'd go through with what you've found right now. You have to believe me."  
She looked straight into her younger sister's eyes, pleadingly, honestly. How she wished that she simply could tell Heather what was this about, that she was right and that they were about to extract their mother from an organization that was making experiments on humans. But that would only ease her own torment and only just for a few moments. But for Heather her world would crash down twice.

Heather blinked once and once more before she nodded briefly. She knew her sister well enough to understand that whatever it was, it would be extremely important - not only to Catherine. Unexpectedly she pulled her eyes away from her to look at Vincent with a stern, almost warning look.  
"You keep her safe", she told him. "And that's not a question."  
"I will", Vincent nodded, not coming any closer. "I ..."  
"No", Heather brought up her index finger. "Don't promise. Do it."  
She turned away without waiting for another reaction and left the same way she got into the sleeping room in the first place. Silence spread like the freezing cold on a sunless winter day. Catherine didn't run back towards him, standing still right there, as if she was still staring at the spot her younger sister had been standing. So it was him who eventually moved, gently brushing his hands up her arms.  
Vincent hadn't expected her to flip herself around and into his arms, burying her head into his chest. Before he consciously realized it he held her in a tight embrace. Maybe this right now was the most frightening moment in his entire life, and he had been frightened a lot by so many things: Muirfield, losing his family, being exposed, hurting J.T. and most of all: himself. One could almost say that he was used to fear. But watching Catherine being close to breaking down was like his own grounding crumbling beneath his feet. She was the one that held him together through all these years even before she knew him, even before she came to know him.  
Her movement defrosted his own rigor and Vincent searched her face in more than worry or concern. Catherine easily could tell even before she saw his eyes, but there was no way to smile at him, even though he alone managed to lighten up her heart a bit. Quickly she brought up her hands, not caring at all about the effect it might have, as she pulled his face towards hers to kiss him, giving her the energy to breathe in the air and shake off the numbness that tried to pull her down.  
Vincent replied by sinking into her touch, holding her even closer as the only footing he had, the only one he ever needed and he reluctantly let go off her as he sensed her intention to bring back space between them, barely managing it. So she placed her forehead against his with her eyes closed.  
"Tess is coming over and will take care of her", she told him now, even though he had been able to hear it.  
Then again she simply needed to say something for them not to start all over again with what they had done this morning. The thought alone flooded their memories with that experience and the inevitable question that cut between them like the ax of a deaths man.

The point when it had been okay to stay right there where she was passed more than just once, but Kara kept kneeling with her legs straddling his lap looking down to Evan whit her blond hair falling down on one side like a golden curtain of silk and he kept staring back, not even thinking about it at first.  
The ache at the back of his head was still there and it was not unless it lessened a bit before he wondered what she was about to do in the next seconds, because her eyes started glowing in their special color again, slowly.  
"Okay, seems like you're okay", Kara diagnosed.  
So she claimed to have watched the movement of his pupils, so make sure that he had no concussion, at least no serious one. Still the color of her eyes told Evan something different, just like her slightly husky voice.  
"Seriously?" he caught himself responding in a mocking sound. "I start to believe that biting is just a code word for something else."  
"You smart-ass", she grinned down at him, but it was the purring sound of her voice that crawled down his spine.  
"No news to me", his reply was less confident than his last one.  
"Okay, cupcake, we need to go", Kara suddenly was on her feet and along with her Evan, because she simply had pulled him up with one hand, which uncomfortably reminded him that she was something else entirely than a usual woman - not that she needed to be a Beast for him to know that.  
"Yeah, we can grab a bite later", he spoke out the first thing that came into his mind, smirking about it just for a second until he realized that this hadn't been his best pun, and because of Kara's eyes glowing at him in a way he wasn't able to put anywhere - and after all her hand still was dug into his pullover - for the second time this day.  
Evan could tell her right now, that he had meant that literally, but she definitely wouldn't believe him. Apart from that he had no idea what else to say, because of the way she looked at him, telling him that she had been honest about what she had said just minutes ago - even though he wasn't right sure about in which way she meant it right now. However it was what he felt like right now: prey.  
"There's a corpse of a woman you dated lying dead on the floor. There is a secret organization you strove forward working for heading towards us right now, intending to kill you and me", Kara spoke without any emotion in her voice. "The woman who is like a mother to me is in life-threatening danger because she secretly betrayed the man who claims to love her for years to make sure that he doesn't enslaves human beings and rips them from their humanity and you're ... yeah, my fault."  
Her words were icy needles she stabbed into him relentlessly, but they told him so much more than anything she had said before. About the whole situation and about herself. She was torn, so torn. Just like him.

J.T. wasn't quite sure how to handle the situation with his two remaining and most certainly uninvited guests. He chose to pretend that they both were just normal people. That the ex of his best friend hadn't pointed a gun at him, carrying it around like she was the new version of Dana Scully and that the other guy, who looked like a grumpy werewolf wasn't just that. He turned around and prepared some water for tea and the coffee maker.  
"Can I leave the two of you alone for a second?" he asked without turning around, remembering the times when he had hoped that something would have happened; now he didn't.  
"Yes", Alex answered while Connor remained silent.  
J.T. breathed in deeply his brows curled due to his brooding look. He needed to call Sarah to tell her that he was okay and wouldn't return that quickly, even though it was the opposite of what he actually wanted. Without looking back he took the stairs to take the phone from there, simply because he wanted to have some privacy and Sarah not to hear how he silently was freaking out. He didn't need to worry her or put her in danger and a part of him wished, like so often, to not being a part of this second world of shadows. Yet he was because and for his best friend and he would never change that.  
Since Connor didn't want to spend the time alone with staring at Alex he turned his back on her. She wouldn't be fast enough if she wanted to try anything and the both were aware of that. However he could hear her heightened heart beat and smell her nervousness even from the other side of the broad room.  
"If the order would be working on me again, you already would be dead", his voice cracked through the silence. "You know that. If I would've wanted to kill you, again you would be dead. It's not working anymore, okay? Chandler fixed me. You can calm down. I won't even move into your direction, you're making me jumpy."  
"What made you so talkative?" was Alex response that although she tried to speak coolly came out a little quiveringly.  
"You once did, remember?" his head twitched into her direction but he stopped himself to start walking along the wall towards the stairs, looking up, but he wasn't eavesdropping.  
There wasn't a reply and Connor kept standing right where he was, not turning towards her and not into the other direction. When her eyes wandered down from his face to his hands Alex could see that they were clenched into fists.  
"I know that you're sorry", she eventually said. "And I understand that you were forced to do this, but ... I can't ... I just can't forget it. It's not that I never forgave you..." her words made him finally face her, even though his brows drew a straight line it wasn't anger in his eyes.  
"I wouldn't have killed you", Connor pushed out these words between his teeth and quickly avoided her eyes because his were changing.

Evan kept looking at her still trying to figure her out. What she just said to cruelly towards him was the extreme opposite to what she told him earlier. These words spoke of how she chose Cat's mother over her own father.  
"Why are you betraying your father?" he wondered in a soft and stating tone, knowing that she had to be upset right now, just because she appeared that cold.  
Kara's eyes narrowed briefly, just ending up in becoming big and questioning. For a second Evan pondered if she really had went through her reasons or thought about it at all. He almost expected no true answer to this that she had jumped into the situation once she had heard that Vanessa Chandler had chosen to break out.  
"Because I shouldn't be alive", she eventually said quietly and it was her calmness that creped him out. "And because I am ... dead. What's worth being alive when you don't have a life?"  
"Those are deep words for a remorseless killer", Evan answered to that.  
Kara never stopped to confuse him. She had killed Claire without hesitation and still was musing about the worth of life.  
"Her?" the female beast pointed towards the corpse behind them. "Would you rather be dead? She made a choice. She chose to be a killer. The only excuse to kill is to stop a murder."  
Evan pursed his lips in skepticism but didn't lose a word.  
"So where are we heading?" it was Kara now who asked.  
"I don't know where he is right now", his answer was honest, lying would have been futile anyway because she would have heard it in his voice and heartbeat, seen it in his eyes and posture.  
She kept staring at him again for longer than necessary and he was aware of that. Although her expression was completely different this time, determined and earnest with that bright yellow glow which almost pulsated around her pupils. He looked back in just the same way.  
"Her apartment it is then"; Kara shrugged and turned away from him as if she never had glanced at him like that or made any flirtations towards him.  
To his own surprise: it did hurt a bit. Still he followed her without looking back, since he knew that Muirfield was on its way and he'd rather never met one of them again.  
"Why?" he asked out of curiosity.  
"Because that's her castle", Kara answered without looking at him now. "And I know that he got severely wounded. And it's just her that she would have him with her, so that she could take care of him."  
"That sounds like you know her well", Evan figured.  
"Someone had to keep tabs on her for her Mom", she shrugged again.

With their eyes closed they stood there as if they tried to make time stop. It had been so easy with reality not trying to break down the walls when the two of them were together, being nothing else but themselves. Catherine couldn't help it. She just needed this feeling, this comfort, this security that Vincent gave her. It was a painful despair that led her lips back to his, so different from before. And she never had realized until now that she only had felt truly safe with him around. Since her mother died she had fought to give herself this feeling, but there was this one single bleeding crack in her fortified wall that only he was able to close. Knowing this made her feel this chasm even more.  
Vincent held her close carefully. He could hear by the way she breathed, the way her heart beat in which turmoil she was. Usually it didn't surface; usually he would need his senses to call her poker face. Composing himself he tried to just reply to her kiss gently, concentrating on her breath washing over his skin, adjusting his rhythm to hers, to remain calm.  
Once more and somewhat ultimately Catherine took her lips away from him and he waited a moment until he opened his eyes, savoring the remaining taste of her. He knew that glance she gave him, when she went back to being the strong, invincible woman she showed to everyone. But taking a closer look into her beautiful eyes he would always know the truth. She was a fighter, she had been through so much, but even Catherine had a breaking point and Vincent literally could feel that she was close, too close. Her skin was wearing thin.  
"I hope that with my mother getting out of this, we will might finally have some rest", she whispered towards her but he knew that she was consciously lying to herself. "Though I don't know what difference it will make. How can there be a way out for her? She cannot come back. I can't have her walking back into her lives. There is no way for her to come back from the dead and I can't do this to Heather or to my Dad."  
Cat stepped away from him shaking her head and breathing in deeply.  
"She might be able to have a cure for me", Vincent said lowly and his words made her look back at him again, since she had heard the uncertainty in his voice.  
"You'd still be dead and hunted by Muirfield", was her late response, her lips were forming a thin line now and although she was standing up straight, somehow her shoulders seemed to hang down spiritless.  
"I think you should stay", Vincent suddenly stated. "Here with your sister. You have done enough. I'll go with Connor whom you obviously trust and Kara, the one he apparently trusts, just like your mother thrusts them both. I can handle this without you."


	16. Letting Go

Minutes had passes by like seconds until the doorbell rang and it had been Heather who had opened to Tess, not Catherine who still owed an answer to Vincent's suggestion of him to handling the situation without her. It wasn't that he didn't want her at his side saving her mother, extracting her from the situation she had spent the last ten years in. Maybe he even worried more about this than Catherine. He couldn't help but wonder about Vanessa's motives and about if she had changed.  
But his essential worry was with Catherine. Though he wouldn't hesitate to admit that she was tougher and fiercer than him despite that it was he who turned into something beyond human when his pulse got to high, which exactly always had them the point: nothing seemed to make her lose control. If he was something like fire she was the ice cooling him down. Right now however she seemingly was melting away, sliding through his fingers and there was nothing else he could do than trying to give her the space she might needed to regain her cool. Even if it freaked him out and was just as painful as ripping out his heart.  
Catherine however retreated for one step avoiding looking at him and staring onto the ground instead. That she took his hands made him feel even more helpless.  
"Maybe ... yes", he could hear her answer, and though he had made the suggestion Vincent never actually had believed that Catherine would agree.  
Suddenly everything appeared so strangely surreal that his mind wasn't able to handle the situation for a second. There was no way taking it back now and he had truly meant it. Now he just realized how devastated she had to feel if she really was thinking about staying here with her sister. Watching her face Vincent knew that it wasn't just about comforting Heather and her turning away, letting go of his hands to meet Tess felt like she was putting a line beneath that subject.  
Vincent swallowed dry and let Catherine leave without following her. Maybe she would change her mind if she had her space, but it was simply too hard to believe that she would feel better without having him around, did she? So he hesitated to join the three women in the living room and turned in a circle instead, taking a look at her room trying to decide how to act. His eyes caught the picture of Catherine with her mother. It had to have been taken in the same year as Vanessa had supposedly died. Vincent was sure about it simply because he remembered Catherine's look exactly. Just like that night he had failed to save her mother - or so he had thought. It was odd that the only thing he was able to recall about that night had been her and the way she had looked at him in the woods: confused, shocked but not afraid. Everything else was a blur, an odd one.  
Vincent took that picture into his hands. Their resemblance was uncanny. He knew that he had been too late that night, that he had heard the gunshots that made his pulse race within seconds. These eyes. It felt like everything had been mixed up in his mind. He had never tried to remember the whole night because it always had been clear to him that he instantly had hunted down the shooters. Now he wasn't that sure anymore.

One thing was absolutely sure for Evan: this woman was a complete riddle, and a part of him asked himself if she herself knew whose side she was one or who she even was. His question that was burning through his tongue however he held back until they had left the building, at least he tried to. But walking down the corridor his effort was futile: "So what are you now? A double or a triple agent?"  
Kara didn't move her head but only her eyes to give him a slightly amused but still somehow annoyed look.  
"Is there surveillance at the stairwell?" was her response that didn't really surprise him.  
"Uhm, I don't really know", Evan shrugged, not taking his gaze off of her which she noted with nothing more than a smirk.  
"Didn't we get beyond that eye-balling thing?" she commented, making him sigh and move his focus towards the elevator and stairwell there were heading to.  
"I'm doing what is best for me", Kara suddenly answered. "And it's Vanessa who has the best in mind for me. She will reverse whatever my father has done to me and I will leave everything behind the moment all of this is finally over."  
Now she had really caught him off guard and Evan looked back at her in confusion and - even though he might not admit it - sympathy. It didn't sound like she had taken the time to find the right response, or thought through her words and Evan believed her without the slightest bit of doubt.  
"How can I help?"  
Kara blinked at him as she heard him say that and her smile even though just faintly was openly sincere, despite the sadness in her eyes.  
"There's nothing you can do", she answered honestly. "You are a surgeon and luckily there's nothing in need to be cut out. At least as far as I know."  
Both of them got goose bumps hearing her comment.  
"The elevator it is then", she quickly changed the topic. "We still have some time left before they arrive and it doesn't really make a difference where we meet them, just make sure that you stay out of the way."  
Evan just nodded to that, because he knew that he wouldn't be helpful. Somehow it frustrated him not being any kind of help to her. He didn't waste a thought to way he felt that way or why it suddenly was that important to help her. Not that she just had killed his fake-ex minutes ago. It seemed to be more important now that her breath still was shallow and that there still was a slight film of sweat on her skin. Not to mention that he could see her quickened pulse at her neck.  
The moment they arrived at the elevator that typical ping appeared and the doors moved apart. Evan wasn't sure if she had been aware of that, if it was important, or if she just hadn't been alerted enough.

Vincent kept staring at the picture and those two pairs of eyes that were so similar. Like mother like daughter. They really were alike. He had always known, but not as sure as in this very moment. Catherine and he had met at a bar and it had been her eyes, this trusting look in her eyes that had calmed him down enough to flee and get away from her as far as possible, so he wouldn't harm her, to keep her safe. It had been the same look that her mother had given him.  
There hadn't been any blood. He knew it as clearly as the sun went down in the west. This had been one of the reasons he had been able to follow the shooters in the first place. But those eyes. He remembered Vanessa's eyes and this determined but pleading look in them as she had spoken to him, still laying on the ground, with an open vest a bullet proof vest.  
Vincent could hear himself inhale sharply, sense how his hands shook, but he couldn't place back that picture, only try not to break the frame or glass.  
"Save my daughter", he could hear her clear as a bell. "Don't let them take her, Vincent. Keep her safe. For me."  
A cracking sound and wood giving in to his firm grasp. He remembered. This sudden urge to do exactly what she had asked him for, the lack of hesitation as he had left Vanessa behind to catch up with those men. Like it had been yesterday.  
Like it had been seconds ago.  
Vincent blinked, and his eyes focused on the broken glass and picture frame in his hand. It had been Catherine's eyes that had made him leave, not those words, not Vanessa's pleading order. It hadn't been an order. Why was he feeling that confused right now?  
Keep her safe.  
Carefully he placed the demolished picture back and swallowed dryly. He could hear them talk in the other room, how Heather explained that she had seen their mother on the public surveillance. And how Tess and her sister tried to convince her that it might have been coincidence.  
Everything seemed so surreal again and numb.  
Vanessa's words, plea, order or not. Keeping Catherine safe always was the most important thing to him and this memory was nothing more than a reminder. Vincent calmed down his breathing, inhaling deeply and listened to the sound of her voice next door. She sounded weary, tired and he knew that there was not much that he could do to change that.  
Joining them would probably just remind Catherine of everything and embracing her, pulling her close - which was what he needed right now - would definitely just make it worse for her. So he breathed in deeply again and turned around, towards the window and opened it, closing his eyes for a second before he climbed through.

For him her reaction as more important than whoever was standing in that elevator, but there was this piercing cut of panic slicing through his spine and the ping sounded longer in his ears that it actually did.  
What happened next was nothing he had expected. The attack didn't hit him head-on, but from the side. And it wasn't really an attack to be honest; it just felt like it for one or two seconds. Plus it made his heart jump. Painfully. His back was smacked against the wall and the rest of his body along with it. And before he could think about what might have hit him he sensed that there was something peculiar about this situation. Like Kara's mouth on his with her lips parting, making him follow her lead instinctively. It was her hands pulling at his neck, and on his chest and her hair entangling his fingers. How did that happen?  
Her body pressing against his would have made him breathless if she didn't already suck the air out of his lungs. There was no way escaping her, not like he really wanted or tried to think about is. Evan didn't really hear the muttered remarks of his neighbors passing by. All he was able to sense Kara kissing him for real and not faking, because for that it was much to passionately and she wouldn't have to move her body against his like that, or slid her tongue briefly across his lips. Her breath wouldn't be shallowly as well and the pressure of her hand moving up his chest along his neck wouldn't have been that strong.  
Not that he pulled her even closer, burying his hands into her locks, replying to her kiss just in the same way. His mind was protesting less than weakly, not that he did care.  
Kara wasn't stopping as the door down the corridor fell into its lock, at least not instantly, and he could feel her pulse hammering beneath his palm as he brought his right hand to her neck. If he hadn't known it any better the speed of her heart beat increased as he touched her skin. However she tore away in that moment. Just as fast as she had jumped him.  
Catching for air Evan looked at her, pressing her own back towards the opposite wall, giving him a strange yellow-eyes glance and he didn't need to take a closer look to see that her features were slightly altered. If he should feel flattered about that fact did cross his mind but he was more worried about her condition right now. Enough to not making a witty remark about her action and to thinking of asking her if she was okay.  
Obviously she was troubled and stared at him as she was pondering about explaining why of all things she had needed to kiss him instead of simply turning away and letting her hear drop into her face, passing by his neighbors. Kara knew better. And that was exactly why she didn't explain a thing to him.  
"We need to", she exhaled, trying hard not to sound out of breath, but Evan still was aware of that.  
However he nodded before she continued: "Get going."

Catherine didn't hear him leaving, though she had notices earlier that he hadn't followed her into the living room. Somehow it felt equally right and wrong. Right because Tess and Heather would feel less comfortable with him being around, and wrong because she felt like that without him. There would have been different questions maybe, or more distraction. It was hard to focus on more than one thing. Right now the most important thing was to calm down Heather, her little sister who always was more like a radiating sun lighting up her surroundings with her lovely nativity and her ways of looking at complicated things in such an easy way. And how this little sunshine was fading. It wasn't that Heather hadn't suffered due to their mother's death; she just had handled it differently and in her own way, enjoying life to the fullest with an optimism that was rarely shaken.  
It was strange to look at her best friend and partner, knowing that she knew, and was laying along with her in order to save that fragile bubble her little sister was living in. A part of Catherine knew that this was wrong in some way. Sooner or later this cold world would hurt her little sister, and it would struck her hard. However telling her that she was right, that their mother was alive, faked her death and had experimented on humans was something that threatened to break even her. Of course she had already learned some of those facts about her mother that had pushed her off this huge pedestal Catherine had placed her upon, but she never had realized that she had fallen so much further.  
It was Tess' voice that ripped her out of her shaken thoughts and focus on keeping Heather in the dark, but there was something else that made her shiver: an icy drop running down her spine and Catherine automatically turned around to look at the open door of her sleeping room. She could sense it. Vincent had left.  
As she moved her head back to glance at her sister, her eyes got caught by Tess, who seemed worried. Catherine could read in her face that she was asking whether Vincent was still there or not and luckily she didn't speak out her question, simply because it would make this situation even stranger. On the other hand it might have been just the distraction her sister would have needed. But not her. With Tess trying to figure out her thoughts all what had happened came back and along with these memories the urgency to go to get that special pill she had wanted to get yesterday. This seemed like months ago.  
"Are you okay?" Tess pulled her back into the here and now, making her jump and Heather notice that her sister was off as well, which was exactly that Catherine had tried to avoid.

There was this typical awkward silence between them as the doors closed with both looking up at the digits counting downwards. Evan was the first one to moves his eyes away and onto Kara who still seemed to be on edge. Reluctantly she looked at him soon after, frowning slightly.  
"Sorry about that", she brought out with some difficulty and Evan wasn't sure if she really felt bad about it or just thought it would be wiser to say so.  
"Well, hum... what was that about no kiss at the first date?" he smirked at her dashingly and made her smile and laugh briefly.  
And much to his surprise she turned her gaze away and towards the ground, as if she truly was embarrassed. He wondered if she would ever stop doing that: surprising him and this silent question puzzled him even more.  
"Not that I do", he added, just to fill the void of sound.  
"I guess so, after all you are British", Kara responded, barely moving her head and mostly her eyes, looking up to him almost shyly.  
Evan cocked one brow playfully - well at least he seemed to lighten her up easily and it appeared that she was relaxing.  
"What do you mean by that?" he questioned.  
"Well" Kara straightened up, still smiling at him as she leaned against the metal behind her. "All gentleman and reserved."  
"Not biased at all, huh?" Evan turned towards her.  
They kept glancing at each other until the ping made them jump again and he caught himself somehow hoping for her to jump him again. Maybe she was right about that.  
Kara pushed herself away and was supposed to leave the elevator, if there hadn't been that hand at her wrist. Her mouth slightly dropped open and she tensed a little more than Evan had expected her to as he held her back.  
"I don't ... I ..." she was turning pale, staring up at him.  
Her stammer made him frown slightly. She truly was a puzzle of riddles. But then Evan realized her condition and wondered if this was the reason for her behavior. Recalling what she had said about that something happened too early. Then he heard his name and focused back on her who was suddenly more than close to him again. Her pupils dilated and those cheeks that had been white now flushed red. She made his heart jump, in something else entirely than a bad way.  
"We need to keep going", her voice sounded husky, as she pushed him backwards instead of dragging him out of that little room and right then when the doors closed, and her hands were back at his neck, pulling his head towards her.  
Yet she stopped at the most unexpected time, making him look into her yellow-y eyes. Now he missed a beat. It seemed like she wanted to make him realize, to make him remember what she was.  
"We met less than 30 minutes ago", she said lowly, sounding strangely. "I killed your ex. I'm what you wanted to hunt down and study. Remember?"

Alex clenched her jaw, her own hands pushed into fists now as she tried to compose herself, which seemed close to impossible meeting Connor's glance and then watching him turn his head away just enough that she wasn't able to see his eyes. She knew that this meant and it freaked her out. That much that she wasn't able to move, not even her hands towards her gun, which would have given her some sort of calmness.  
"Maybe you wouldn't have killed me", she tried to respond coolly but her voice was betraying her, "but I could see it", Alex forced herself to continue speaking. "I could see it in your eyes that you would at least follow the first part of his order."  
Connor spun around and the sound of cracking stone made her flinch, as his fist rammed into the wall behind him. Alex could watch his shoulders tense and heave, as he was trying to restrain himself.  
"Was that my wall?" they both could hear J.T. shout down from the second floor and somehow that exactly was what Connor needed to find back to himself, yet he didn't face Alex again, and didn't say anything, hoping that she would.  
"You do understand why I can't trust you", a lifetime appeared to have passed before her voice sounded through the room towards him.  
"You really think I would have done that?" he sounded broken. "I thought you wanted to help me out. I knew Vanessa would be there to interfere; after all ..."  
Connor shook his head, still his back on her.  
"You actually believed Doc over me", he continued after taking a deep breath and turned around. "We were friends and you believed him over me, Alex. I should be the one being disappointed, not you."  
"I'm not disappointed, I'm ..." she tried to disagree.  
"Does it really matter now?" he cut her off, his voice sounding almost weak now. "I don't think so, unless it makes you unfit to do your job."  
"It doesn't", Alex was quick to answer to that.  
"You really believe I, don't you?" Connor made a step towards her for the first time in the last hour and she was fully aware of that, still she tried to solely react to his question and frowned: "What do you mean?"  
"That once this ... condition is reversed that everything changes back to what it once was. That every action right now during this condition is not our own", he made another step. "It would make your life so much easier, right? Do you really think that it will bring him back to you?"  
Alex kept frowning and tilted her head slightly, trying to figure out what he was up to until he said those final words. Connor didn't give her the chance to protest: "I saw what he did to save Cat. He was willing to die for her and that", he kept on walking towards Alex, "is not a treat of this condition", and he narrowed his eyes slightly. "Our self-preservation is too strong."

Evan was astonished once again and partly about himself for not freaking out having a member of a created cross species that close to him, with her fingernails now digging through the fabric covering him, scratching his skin. Because he knew for sure that she wouldn't hurt him. What a strange feeling that was. He didn't even wonder if Cat felt the same about Vincent, he figured it was like that. Being in this situation now himself was admittedly sensational.  
Kara however felt nothing like that. Her heart was beating too fast and she felt like her shallowly breathing didn't supply her body with enough oxygen. She felt dizzy and - much to her worry and discomfort - weak. Still despite what she just hat tried to remind Evan of so that he would keep his distance, he obviously didn't want to listen. Why would he? Her own behavior was completely opposite to her words, although she did her very best to restrain herself. Kissing him had been the worst idea ever, but it had been the very first though occupying her mind as those doors had opened. And she didn't want anything else more than doing it again: biting him. Kara had no clue why he appealing to her, but that kiss had definitely made it worse. Not until then she realized that she was about to ruin Evan's clothes once more additionally to that their noses almost were touching.  
"You have to keep your distance", she managed to bring out hoarsely, and despised the fact that she needed to tell him this, just when she had spoken that presumptuously about what she was minutes before.  
He gave her another cocked brow and a smirk, telling her that he wasn't sure if she just was playing him.  
"Females are becoming stronger in a specific week on the month", she explained and swallowed dryly, tearing her eyes away from his face and onto her hands, which were disobeying her since they didn't let go. "Unfortunately the same weak we ... tend to be in heat. This is the thing I seem to be too early for."  
It was hard to keep her breath even, not only because of the information she just had given him, but for her own realization.  
"Maybe it's the new treatment we were testing", she continued, hoping that thinking rationally would help her to focus and stop thinking of ripping his clothes of.  
The only other reason that came into her mind was that the beastly part of her was absolutely convinced of him being the perfect mating partner, which was even more awkward. She had to let go off him. Maybe after just one, one brief kiss?  
Evan needed some time to digest that new information, but noticed that he was much more flattered than worried. With felines and wolves it was the strongest male that ... what the hell was he thinking?  
"I understand", he nodded, knowing that he probably should take his hands from her hips, telling himself he would take advantage of her condition and asking himself once more where his thoughts were heading.  
Kara probably just had told him that her behavior had nothing to do with him.

Regardless of what she just had told him and the change of his tone, they didn't move, like being frozen in the moment, incapable of breaking it, because they might never get that close again.  
Somehow Kara managed to ease her fingers by staring them down, but Evan's hand still hadn't moved. When they did she automatically looked up at him, sensing them sneaking up her back to right beneath her shoulders, leaving a trail of goose bumps, forcing her to fight a shiver from taking over. Kara waited for his hands to reach her shoulders, so that he would finally push her away, or that he would grab her wrists, probably would be even better.  
Still it took him too long. Silently she already had admitted to herself that she only had this aching difficulty to stay away from him because it wasn't just physical attraction. With every word that fled from his mouth it just became worse and worse and worse. And she could see that he was about to do it again.  
"Curse you", she whispered, right before the got up on her tiptoes to crush her lips on his again, begging in her thoughts that what she told him had been enough to destroy the possibility of him giving in to what she did.  
And he didn't react. At first. Kara barely sensed how he broke the touch with his hands, being too distracted by his taste on her lips and his scent in her lungs. She didn't realize that she was closing in again, hoping that he would rip her hands away from him. Kara needed to stop, before he stopping her would enrage her primeval nature that was still satisfied with kissing him at the moment.  
This didn't feel just like instinct to him, because wouldn't it be logical for her to change if this was fully her altered DNA. Evan was aware of her warnings, what she was, in which state she was and that Muirfield would be here any moment.  
His hand sunk into her hair again, right above her ears and her reaction was instant. This definitely was encouraging her, because she pressed herself against him and along with her body her fingers dug through the fabric, tearing it this time merely. Kara seemed to need this so desperately that she started to infect him. But still an elevator didn't seem to be the right place. At least not now.  
Evan wasn't pushing her away and Kara wouldn't let go, or so it seemed. It was something else: the doors opening again. Instantly he realized that she would have continued kissing him intoxicated if it had been someone else than men in black uniforms, looking oddly similar to a swat team. And just when he had finished that question Kara had already exploded into movement, by turning around in a fluid circle, smacking the head of the first against the back wall, using his head as support to prod her knee into the second man's stomach. That they were wearing the typical armor didn't seem to lessen the effect.

It took quite some time to calm Heather down. Not that she was about to cry but talking that quickly that the cyphers seemed to flee her mouth forgetting to put them together to form actual words. So there first was coffee and quickly after tea, because the first one apparently only worsened little Chandler's state. For Catherine however this was actually a good thing and was relieved no one noticed that Tess was busy with calming down her sister. Until she realized that Vincent was gone and she went pale.  
"Weren't you supposed to be somewhere?" Heather asked her all of the sudden and frowningly.  
"I managed to ... I skipped this ... someone else is handling it. I felt like I should stay with my sister", Catherine answered, sounding rather as if she was justifying instead of explaining herself.  
Tess joined Heather in her facial expression. Yet there was something else and she noticed that, knowing her partner for such a long time she was almost as easy to read like her own sister.  
"About that", she suddenly said and got up. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"  
The Chandler sisters' eyes followed her up, both equally wondering.  
"Sure", Catherine rose up as well.  
"It won't take long", Tess slimed slightly down to Heather before she gave Cat a nudge against her shoulder moving her towards her room, which she followed automatically, but her head was already there.  
She didn't really notice that her partner closed the door behind her, because she was too occupied looking around in the room, just to find that the window was unlocked. There had been no other route for Vincent. So Cat walked towards it and locked it again, remembering too well what had happened the last time. When she turned around to glance at her partner she noticed the broken frame of her mother and her. When had this happened? Frowningly she walked over and took it into her hands. Had Vincent broken it? But why?  
"There's something you need to know"; Tess began after watching Cat move around in her room. "About her as well."  
That caught her friend's attention and her eyes focused back on her, wondering what this might be about. Yet she didn't put back the picture.  
"There are some things Alex has told me about your mothers ... work as well as about Vincent. Things you need to know", she continued and Cat closed her eyes in a deep sigh. All of the sudden she looked endlessly tired.  
"Can't that just wait? Can we just take care of Heather?"  
The only thing important to Catherine right now was trying to make sure that her little sister's idyllic world kept staying exactly what it was: idyllic, with a concrete, immovable ground that would never crumble beneath her feet. As long as her sister felt safe, Catherine would at least be able to pretend that she felt the same that her bubble just ha a scratch and wasn't shattered with Vincent as the only glue holding it together somehow. She didn't need more information about him that would make everything even harder.

Everything happened so fast that Evan wasn't consciously able to follow same time; he just knew that Kara's movements were too fast and too precise as she snapped both men's necks before they could even recover and it made him feel sick and numb. He didn't realize that she pushed him back to the side, were not only metal but brickwork would cover him.  
"Stay", he comprehended but didn't recognize her voice, simply because it didn't sound like her, much too deep, much too distorted.  
Before he was able to look at her clearly, Kara had already left the elevator, so he automatically stared at the broad side of the elevator which metallic walls were polished enough so that he could see her figure mirroring in it as she stormed down the hallway, jumping onto her knees to slide a few feet. Two bullets shot into the metal and made him tense and press himself into his corner. The image was too warped now but he could still hear the noises, of her punching, of fabric and tissue ripping, bones breaking. But the most terrifying sound was the silence that followed. His gaze dropped to the two dead at his feet and their weapons.  
"Evan", he heard her say his name with that strangely different voice and he cautiously leaned forward to take a look into the corridor.  
As she saw him Kara instantly moved towards him, wiping across her blood-spattered face with her sleeve. He could watch her face turn back from that cat-like creature into that beautiful woman she was, with every step she took.  
"Are you okay?" she asked her voice almost normal now. "Come on. We have to leave now. There's surely a team taking the stairs they will know..."  
Kara cut herself off and turned around quickly, her hair following her around in a perfect wave. Just in the same moment the elevator door closed again. Evan sunk on his knees to get one of the guns and struggled to get it out. As he hit the button to open the doors again, it was already too late and it started moving up.  
"No, no, no!" he hit against the metal and he heard her shout his name once more.  
Quickly he pushed every button, realizing that he should have looked to which level the elevator had been heading in the first place.  
Hastily he searched the two corpses for ammo and got one knife from them, as the doors were already opening at the third floor. It was empty and he got out. Instantly going for the stairs and going down. He could hear movement above him. Boots hitting the concrete, but he couldn't figure out if they were going up or down and didn't want to stop and try, because he needed to get to Kara. So he moved and the door behind him fell in its lock. There was an instant reaction to that, because he could hear those steps stop. When he heard the movement again there was no doubt that they came after him now. And Evan ran.

Tess gave Cat one of these meaningful, silent glances telling her that whatever she wanted and needed to tell her was crucial. Still she said nothing because of Cat's words earlier. Somehow she knew that she wouldn't want to hear what her partner had to tell her and that she owed her at least that. Tess had put up awesomely with the whole situation, but then again Cat wasn't sure if she knew the whole truth about Vincent and the others. How much she had actually seen.  
"Okay", she exhaled. "What is it?"  
That her friend didn't start right away, pouring out the whole information worried her instantly and - totally untypical for her - Catherine sat down onto her bed. She slid her hand across the sheets knowing that if she would smell at them they still would have Vincent's scent. She gritted her teeth.  
"Two things and one of them is wide above my head"; Tess finally spoke and gestured alongside with her words. "So dimply things first. Your mother", she lowered her voice making sure that Heather wouldn't be able to hear them. "Your mother seems to have a treatment for the ... condition Vincent and the others are in."  
Catherine hadn't seen that one coming and was more or less amazed. Even though Vincent was pretty much capable of controlling himself when she wasn't drugged with some pheromone enhancement, but being a Beast was the sole proof for what Muirfield had done to him. Maybe they would give up chasing him down because all what he could do was talking about them and he knew better than to do that. So this was a good thing. Yet Cat wasn't celebrating because the way Tess looked right now as well as her own guts told felt like a dark foreshadowing. She closed her eyes. Could she really handle that right now?  
"The other thing is something", Tess frowned and shook her head. "They have found out that their... you know ... subjects ... have some sort of social behavior... like wolves?"  
"Well it's canine DNA, right?" Cat shrugged her shoulders once and looked at the broken picture of her mother, brushing her thumb across the crack.  
"Yeah but apparently they have some pack sense, you know like a wolves in packs and one of them leading the other", her friend tried to explain, but obviously didn't know how to put it. "However Alex has experienced that they ... these ... creatures are very obedient to whomever they see as their pack leader."  
Cat looked up at her again, as if she knew where this was heading, and she slowly shook her head, feeling sick all of the sudden and light-headed.  
"And well, they believe that for Vincent's generation your mother was their leader", Tess spoke out the inevitable, sounding like she was far away, her questing was even foggier: "Cat, are you okay?"  
Catherine breathed in deeply and exhaled: "I'm okay. It's just... these drugs Doc has given me are wearing off..."  
She wasn't sure if that was true, but she needed to hear that herself.

When Evan arrived at the ground floor he cautiously opened the door to peek through the rift that was opened. The corridor was empty. Like entirely empty. Not even a sign of Kara. Quickly he slid through, aiming the gun he had taken to where his eyes went. No corpses, no Kara, but there definitely had been people in the stairwell.  
"Kara?" he asked loudly, knowing that it possibly wasn't the smartest thing to do, but she couldn't simply have left him here, could she?  
Yet the corridor was empty, and he moved towards the exit rapidly. Still nothing. No answer, no sign of that anything had happened.  
"Freeze!"  
He hadn't been fast enough. Evan was stunned for a moment but brought his hands up automatically. They hadn't shot him. That had to mean something. Quickly he turned around.  
"Marks", one of the four figures said his family name.  
They all were wearing masks and helmet with no chance to identify them and he really didn't want to know.  
"Where's the other team?" the guy asked him and Evan instantly knew that they had no clue about the recent happenings.  
"This Kara woman took them out", he answers, lowering his arms as the four did the same with their weapons. "I bet who of them are still in the elevator", he turned his gun around and walked towards them as if this was the most normal thing to do, handing it over to the one who had addressed him. "She fled. Didn't see where to, but you should leave like now. The cops will come soon."  
"Where's ..?"  
"She's dead", Evan cut him off so that he wouldn't say her name. "In my apartment. That beast just snapped as I said that I'm with you."  
The man in front of him nodded briefly and gave the other a sign to get the elevator, which they did.  
"You will handle this?" he asked Evan and he nodded.  
"Unfortunately with the cops coming and having you on their taps with this I'll have to report that you will go inactive", the man responded and Evan tried to seem disappointed. "Sorry man."  
Another ping in the corridor.  
"Sir, there's only two of them"; one of the other three reported and Evan frowned, just like the commanding officer would do as well - beneath his mask.  
"Let's get them and leave, we'll call that in. If they are found through the Police we'll go the official way. Move!"  
Evan just kept standing there and listened, faking disappointment every time one of them turned around.  
"Four, the magnet to the security system", the commander kept barking orders and one of them left.  
A magnet. They would delete the hard drive of the surveillance system without looking at the recordings, which meant they would delete the evidence that Evan just had lied: Kara and him kissing. He couldn't help but relax, although he still was wondering about her whereabouts.

Being alone with oneself is never a good thing when the world tries crashing down on you. Vincent had to keep off the streets because it was the middle of the day. Alone in the sewers of this city he was just with himself and his thoughts and as much as he tried to keep himself focus on the path, to prepare him for meeting Alex again, for saving Catherine's mother, his memories won over now and then. He couldn't quite believe that his subconsciousness had been able to suppress these memories for so long. it almost felt like they were not his own. It seemed so odd that he had spoken to Vanessa before saving Catherine. He could have told her for years that her mother wasn't dead. He had known it.  
Vincent kept wondering about why this had come to him now. Did that make any sense? But then again it had taken him ten years and a combination of drugs and hormones to remember his time in Afghanistan. His sub consciousness seemed to have a schedule of its own, protecting him from memories until he needed them to be prepared for something. Somehow it felt like this. Somehow he knew that Alex would be breaking some news to him he wouldn't like, news that would be related to this memory.  
It was odd. Simply because it felt like he was able to finally connect those two sides of him, to finally understand this second part that he despised for so long. He was realizing, as he jogged through the stinking sewers of New York, that this Beast inside of him was trying to protect him. Like his primal instincts had received a weapon that they could activate whenever he felt in danger. It suddenly felt so simple. And it made so much sense. Also it explained to him why he never did hurt Catherine, because she never was a true threat to him. Not like the woman three years ago. It seemed like his instincts had known that she wouldn't be able to accept him. Catherine however had done so from the first time they had met.  
After all these years of fighting against him it seemed that finally he was able to find peace. The answer to all this suddenly appeared to be that easy: letting go. If he was able to let go off all the fears, of being afraid of him, accepting who and what he was, he would be able to control himself, because he was himself. This new knowledge... he owed it to Catherine. He had needed to long to see that simplicity of it all, something that had been so easy to her but never to him: this full acceptance. She loved him for all he was, no matter what. Why hadn't he been able to do that as well?  
Maybe Vanessa had told him to keep Catherine safe and to save her, but in reality it had been vice versa. She had saved him, and with loving him without any condition, she was keeping him safe. It was just like an hour ago, but this time he knew for sure: if there was a cure he wouldn't need it, because he already was cured. Catherine was his cure.

Catherine tried to compose herself. Tess was her best friend. It wasn't that she didn't trust her, but admitting all her worries and fear to her right now. She wasn't sure if she could keep it together if she told her everything. Not with Heather being all messed up.  
"So Alex suggests that my mother might have ordered Vincent to keep me safe and all that he did was to follow that order", she put her friend's information into her own words.  
Tess nodded.  
"That would be the easy explanation", Cat commented. "I didn't expect her to be like that." she looked directly at her friend. "I don't believe it. Even if it's true and it started that way. It wouldn't be the reason why he loves me."  
"I don't know", Tess shrugged.  
Catherine tried to find a pattern, something that would agree with this theory: like him trying to turn himself in, trying to run away, try to stay away. But that was him. What if his whole character had changed because of his altered DNA? There were theories that the personality was programmed into the genotype as well. Hadn't Vincent told her once that his old self would have had smacked Evan square in the mouth if he would have seen him kiss her? But wasn't personality a sum of experience?  
Still what if Vincent got his cure and it changed everything back. No matter if her mother had ordered him anything. What if the cure would change his character? Brain damage could, DNA alteration could do so as well. In the end it would be his choice. But this question it would never let her go. She wanted Vincent to be happy and she knew that being something else than human was tormenting him. But what if that exactly made him her Vincent? What if this part of him would vanish? Could his feelings for her possibly true? What if her mother's theory was right and Vincent believed that he loved her because she was his pack leader now?  
Catherine hadn't expected that this situation could have become any worse. But it had. Like a marble had started a landslide.  
Right now there seemed so many chances to lose him that she couldn't find one where she didn't  
The irony was that for her Vincent didn't need to be cured and she had told him so many times: she loved him for all what he was.  
Her hands started shaking.  
"Cat", Tess was more than worried now and stepped towards her friend.  
"I can't lose him", she heard herself whisper, staring onto the picture and up to her best friend again. "Tess. I can't lose him. He's the only reason I feel alive. I need to go. I have to make sure that he's safe."  
Catherine got up so quickly that the picture slid out of her hands and fell to the ground. The cracked frame broke and the glass splintered into a thousand pieces.

Evan realized that he still had the knife but he chose to keep it and watch this surreal situation: how to of those masked Muirfield soldiers carried the two dead ones out of the elevator. A van came up to the front doors and they were heading for it. "What about this Kara?" he asked.  
"We're shutting Donovan's facility down", the commanding officer replied to him. "You won't have to worry about that creature coming after you:"  
Evan frowned and the man instantly felt like explaining: "Shutting down as in erasing. Those programmed to follow Donovan will be killed. Those following Chandler will simply continue to do so."  
He nodded automatically. Obviously Claire would have given him that information if he really had agreed to join Muirfield fully.  
"Claire?" he asked.  
"We have no time to take her..."  
"Yes, I will handle that. Anything I need to know? I mean they will ask questions and if they investigate her..." Evan dug deeper.  
"Her files are crystal clear."  
Another nod and then he flinched as the soldier yelled move.  
And then it dawned to him. It was like the words had needed their time to sink in and bloom. Muirfield was taking them out? Apart from Chandler, as in Catherine's mother? Did she switch sides?  
The Bing of the elevator sounded behind him again, but the doors didn't open normally. There were halfway stuck. And then he noticed that there wasn't the small room behind it like it should, but the darkness of the shaft, and Kara, who was slowly pushing the doors apart. She had escaped there and probably the two remaining dead soldiers were there as well.  
She took a deep breath before she stepped towards him.  
"Did I hear right?" she asked calmly and Evan wasn't sure which part she meant. "Did he tell you that Vanessa's returning to Muirfield and they are killing my father's subjects?"  
He didn't like the expression on her face.  
"Fuck", she commented his mine and leaned her head backwards. "Why did you do that? Now we can't pull you out."  
"They are about to kill your father", Evan reminded her and caught her full attention.  
Her face was blank, but her eyes weren't.  
"He needs to be stopped", she said lowly after glaring at him in silence. "I can't live with having killed every single member of my family. After all he's my father."  
"You won't save him?" he couldn't quite believe that.

Whatever both, Alex and Connor, were about to say after that, with him glaring at her not because he was angry but hurt, and her because she felt threatened by his behavior and stunned by his words, they didn't get the chance. Both their mobiles buzzed almost the same time. It was a sort of relief they felt being ripped out of this tensed situation. And almost never duty seemed as welcome as in that moment. Until they read their messages and the glances they gave each other now were so completely different.  
J.T. however was worried about the silence in the kitchen. After calling Sarah to update her on the situation with as little information as possible to keep her safe he had waited and listened to the discussion downstairs.  
"You both still alive?" he asked uncertain and walked to the stairway to seem them both looking like someone had torn the ground beneath their feet away.  
"Muirfield is taking us down", Connor looked at him. "Meaning Doc's branch."  
"Vanessa has officially returned to Muirfield and..." Alex followed, obviously having problems with the truth she just had learned. "... sold him out."  
J.T. blinked in confusion, not sure if he had understood right.  
"She's tolerating that they kill half of my comrades", Connor's voice was hoarse and shaken.  
Automatically Alex reached out, placing her hand on his shoulder to give him some comfort, but she was equally shocked. The two former friends looked at each other indefinably.  
"She what?" J.T. couldn't believe that, this was changing his picture of Catherine's mother drastically.  
She wasn't supposed to pull this Anakin Skywalker stunt, but obviously this woman had already had gone Darth Vader and played them all.  
"They are calling me in", Alex explained to Connor, giving J.T. just a brief look. "As her contacting agent I have to meet her."  
Suddenly the door was pushed open, making all three of them jump and Connor already going into shift. It was Vincent, who apparently had heard it all.  
"Is she giving us a chance to get her?" he asked without saying hello or anything, because it felt like there was no time at all.  
"I ... I don't know", Alex admitted. "This wasn't what we have planned."  
"Who told you about Muirfield", Vincent asked Connor not as calm as he wanted to sound, because all of this was more than bad news and the only good thing about this was that Catherine wasn't here to hear it.  
He didn't remember Vanessa like that. She was the one who saved people, not leaving them to slaughter.  
"Kara", Connor replied and looked back at the display. "She killed Claire. They send two teams to take her out. They believe Evan is still one of them but deactivated them. So he's safe for now."  
"We need to know where Doc is", Vincent thought aloud.

Kara looked at Evan as if she had difficulties to comprehend his question and then she did something he definitely hadn't expected: she made a step backwards, suddenly tensing. He turned around, but there was no one behind him. Dis she already hear the cops? Yet the way her glance had changed he figured it was something about him.  
"My father is too far gone from being saved in any kind and you know it. Apart from that he's not the one that will cure me. If that is even possible", she eventually answered and made Evan frown, continuing before he could ask the question that was already occupying the space between them. "It's one thing to infect human DNA with a virus that reprograms them. After all it is a virus and it has to be a living one. Since the DNA of every human is slightly different, it will react differently to the virus. It's like a real disease and a real cure: some people directly react to the medicine, some need longer and some never really get cured. And this virus goes as deep as the HIV one. So who knows if everyone can even be cured? Who knows what effects the cure will have? And then the virus my father used on my was different than the one he used on Connor. And the one he used on Keller is even more different. Vanessa is aware of that. She worked for almost a decade on dead probes of Keller to create a virus to countermand Keller's and less to work on Connors and mine."  
Now Evan was the one trying to comprehend. Eventually he realized. The whole time he had thought of himself as the intelligent smart-ass who would understood everything and knew it all. He had believed that this was an experiment maybe gone wrong, that these creature which DNA he had found was nothing more than a wild animal close to humans but not human. And now here he was standing in front of a smart, strong but troubled woman who had so much more on her mind and up her sleeve that he could have ever imagined. The worst part of it all was the fact that despite everything she had done and was willing to do she had let go hope wander out of her life seemingly without even fighting. He couldn't help but wonder what she kept on going for.  
"So what are you going to do?" Evan asked cautiously, making that one step she had moved away from him towards her, without even noticing.  
"I will have to find Vanessa. Hopefully she isn't already with Muirfield in a way that she is out of reach", Kara answered, not moving. "Otherwise I have no choice ant either run or find my father. But I have to leave now."  
This was another truth that didn't need to be said, but apparently she needed to avoid any silence.  
"Can I help", Evan asked honestly.  
Although the police was coming, and apart from her being what and who she was, he really wanted to help her and he definitely wanted her to stay, which was the one thing that wasn't possible.  
Kara smiled at him - that rare smile that wasn't part of the role that she had chosen to play, but the one that came from her core - soft, almost insecure, and shy.

All of them: Alex, Connor and J.T. looked at Vincent in disbelieve, not sure if they heard it right. Yet how he was looking straight at his best friend there was no doubt that he definitely had said what they have heard.  
"Look, I'm not the smartest guy in this room, but that doesn't change that our enemy's enemy can be our ally", Vincent explained.  
"You remember that Doc shot you, right?" J.T. sounded like he doubted his best friend's sanity.  
"Well we can't go to Vanessa now", Connor agreed. "Since she's with Muirfield."  
"You are trusting Kara more than Vanessa?" Alex almost scolded him for what he had said.  
"Vanessa Chandler is twice as smart as me", he responded to her. "She definitely has a plan doing this. Probably it's the only option to get her out of the line of fire, even though I can't figure out why Muirfield all of the sudden changed their minds."  
"No, wait, nonono, wait", J.T. lifted up his hands. "Wasn't this her plan in the first place? To fake her return to Muirfield to get out?"  
"Not with them killing half of us", Connor shook his head.  
"And what if she underestimated them? It obviously wouldn't be the first time", J.T. explained.  
"Vanessa is more important to them than Donovan. She knows exactly the same but is regarded as more cooperative and a lesser threat. But I never heard of any plans that aggressive", Alex answered to that.  
"And you are of course that close to the head of the snake that you can hear it whisper", J.T. responded sarcastically.  
"They hunted me for years because I am the only proof their operation exists", Vincent agreed with his friend.  
"Donovan will sell you out", Connor addressed him now. "And you know it. Is that the risk you are willing to take? He's not going to protect you just because you offer to be his shield for Muirfield."  
"They will tolerate your death even though they prefer getting you alive", Alex added bitterly. "That won't work."  
Vincent breathed in deeply: "Has any one of you a better idea?"  
"If this is part of Vanessa Chandler's original plan, how did she expect you to go on from here?" J.T. asked Connor now.  
"She would have suggested meeting Muirfield right there where we first brought Cat, so that Donovan would be able to find them", he explained. "Bringing her ... pack along, which are officially four. Her guards, how Donovan calls them. He had eight plus Kara." His eyes moved to Vincent. "You killed two. He would bring them along, and well. Let's imagine a big showdown where we pull her out with two of his plus Kara leaving him."

"There's nothing you can do, I told you already", Kara responded, still not retreating as Evan closed in on her. "I can hear them come. The cops. The sirens. I need to go."  
"I could still tell them the truth, you know", he answered to that, being close enough to touch her, but there was no strain of hair in need to be brushed back.  
Kara laughed sarcastically, but not mockingly.  
"Like what?" she tilted her head slightly, looking up at him. "Me killing your ex-girlfriend because she wanted to shoot you, although your fingerprints are on the gun? How do you want to explain me being there? And then I'm officially dead."  
"Yes, you remind me that I probably should find the bullet that grazed you, because of your DNA on it", Evan frowned, but there was a grin trying to surface on his lips.  
"Oh you already have thought of reason why I could have been in your apartment", it wasn't a question and Kara had to grin - there was no chance suppressing it. "Oh I knew it. British men and their naughty thoughts."  
"Well I didn't say anything", there was still that grin fighting to claim his mouth.  
"Yes, we both just accidentally remembered how Muirfield suggested how you ended up dead. I think it's too strange making that our explanation for hers don't you think?" Kara answered to that and Evan had to agree, with his facial expression turning more and more serious as she continued. "Though I appreciate that I seemed to have changed your mind about what I am so quickly. Hopefully it's not all my credit, because that would seem to be a little too subjective, don't you think?"  
Evan had to smile again although just faintly.  
"No, not entirely your credit", Evan stated. "But mostly. You saved my life twice. Like you said: you didn't have to. It would have been easier for you not to. I really don't know why you did. Now that I know that you probably didn't do it for your father, even though he might have asked you for it."  
"He didn't", Kara answered almost hastily.  
"I almost expected that", he frowned just briefly. "Then thank you again. I wish I ..."  
Before he was able to continue her index finger sealed his lips and Evan watched her how she was swallowing dryly. It wasn't her, but him this time, not that they would ever have a discussion about that. He simply enfolded her face in his hands and kissed her. All she did was grabbing and pulling at his pullover. Heat was washing down on them like a tropical storm and although it was only seconds it had felt like time had stood still. This wasn't just physical attraction and they both knew it.  
Kara managed to move her head merely enough to free her mouth; her eyes still clothed like she didn't want this to happen, which was definitely the case.  
"I have to go", she breathed out and dropped her hands to turn out of his grasp.  
"Will you come back?" Evan heard himself say, letting her go.  
She didn't turn around as she walked towards the entrance, yet he could see her body tense. There was obviously no quick answer that he would like to hear.  
"If there is a chance", it was barely a whisper.


	17. Crashing Down

**º Chapter 17 º Crashing Down º [R] º finished**

For the fact that Cat was a cop she definitely had no excuse for breaking all the traffic rules, which was why he had switched on the lights and the sirens to get out of the inner city lines as quickly as possible. With her squad car she was fast enough to get to Vincent's and J.T.'s home pretty quickly. Yet she knew that she would have to kill her siren if she didn't want to draw unnecessary attention on that place. Even more knowing that officially Alex should have shot J.T. a few hours ago.  
Cat tried to stay calm. Somehow driving in this horrendous speed, having to react just as fast when cars switched lines or hit the brakes instead of moving aside when they saw her approach was a good distraction from the thoughts that were rampaging in her head.  
Yet at some time there was no escape. Just when she had to slow down and become a normal member of the New York traffic. All those worries and what-ifs were surrounding her like haunting mosquitoes trying to get a piece of her, but in the end there were only two thoughts that seemed to be to mind wrenching for her to ignore: what if Vincent got cured and become someone else, like his old self, someone she barely knew, someone who had loved Alex and not her, what if the cure erased everything he had experienced from the moment they had altered his DNA. Was this even possible?  
Cat had really no idea of this topic, but she knew about some of the theories. She had read about them after getting to know Vincent and what exactly had happened to him, simply because she wanted to understand to which extend her mother was involved with his DNA alteration. And in fact she seemed to have been the one responsible programming the living virus into attacking and rebuilding Vincent's DNA. So if her mother would go the easy way she probably would create a virus that would undo what the original one had done. Again she was no expert but wouldn't that mean that this could simply erase the last ten years? Could it even erase his memory?  
And then there was this other thing that would or rather might be a growing problem, if it started existing. The chance was low, with Vincent probably even lower than normal, which was what she kept telling herself. Still what if having missed the chance to take that pill and get another one had its consequences? What if she was pregnant? Even without this massive mountain that was the possibility of her losing Vincent in the most terrible way she would imagine - her Vincent being erased by the cure - this what if was still stunning.  
Overwhelming but strangely not terrifying. Catherine never had really thought about having kids. Heather was the one who had planned that out in every detail: finding a handsome, successful, maybe rich man, getting married and having two to four children. But Cat never wanted kids, for a long time. She suddenly caught that feeling inside her that she hadn't expected: hope. She had do admit to herself that a part of her actually hoped that she would be pregnant. Even more when thinking of the possibility of losing its father. This was crazy but still it was what she felt. There wasn't any though lost about the fact that this child would have altered DNA, that they would be hunted. But then again Muirfield never needed to find out. She would find a way. They would find a way. If Vincent would hear her concerns, her worries, Catherine was sure that he wouldn't take the cure. He wouldn't be worried about hurting their child. She had to believe that.

Somehow this was her true strength: keeping it together. The wall she had built up throughout the years wasn't to keep others out but to keep herself in, all her emotion, all her pain, all her vulnerability. Originally. Unfortunately walls work in both ways and there had been few manage to find a way through them. It wasn't that Catherine didn't trust anyone, or that it was hard to gain her trust, but it simply never was blind. Just the slightest doubt was a seed that was able to threaten her bricking was enough for her to smash it. Guilt had always been the mortar. Catherine always had felt that it had been her fault, her mother's death and that it was her duty to be the strong one, the one console her sister, since her father was too devastated. Him finding love again had felt like a betrayal, like Brooke had seduced him into forgetting her mother like an evil queen. That was when Cat first had realized that her own fortress had mate her hieratic, but she only had been able to see that, because of Vincent. And due to what he had told her: that her mother's death hadn't been her fault.  
He turned out to be the rain washing down what had made her wall invincible. And now after the stones came crashing down, leaving her exposed to the world, he had left her. Not for forever of course, not willingly either. To protect her. With this Vincent had reminded her how much she needed him. Catherine did need no walls to shield her heart from anything when Vincent was there with her. Right now that exactly was what frightened her the most. Losing him. She doubted that she would ever be able to endure that moment once again. That moment when Evan told her that he was dead. Maybe she would be able to somehow bare the possibility of him being alive but back to his old self, the one that never knew her. Still she refused to accept that this was a possibility.

Getting out of the car to walk to the entrance of the place where Vincent and J.T. currently were still living felt like she had held her breath for the whole ride and finally was able to inhale some fresh air again. Yet the weight of her thoughts still threatened to crush her.  
In situations like this Cat was more than grateful to have Tess, who had been more than a partner almost from the very beginning. They both were pretty good in judging characters when it didn't come to potential boyfriends - well, Vincent was the first to ever be an exception. However it hadn't taken long for Cat and Tess to become friends and they had been like this for years, trusting each other blindly. This was another reason why Heather more or less had two elder sisters now.

After typing the code to actually be able to enter apartment Catherine almost ran into J.T. who was packed with bags and a backpack. One glimpse was enough to see that there was no one else there.  
"Where's Vincent?" she instantly asked and J.T.'s expression made it obvious that he had neither expected this question nor her being here right now.

Seeing that expression on his face Cat didn't want to repeat the question because something told her she wouldn't like it at all. Still she also instantly knew that time was running out.  
"You…" J.T. frowned in confusion and obviously tried to sort his thoughts. "You didn't get any messages? Vincent didn't call you?"  
"About what?" Cat shook her head, furrowing her brows. "J.T. what's going on? I mean I know what Tess told me but…"  
This was not good. Her whole body was telling her this and the way her opponent looked at her, he did feel the same way.  
"Seemingly your mother sticks to the original plan: bringing Muirfield and Doc to a showdown at the place where he held you the first time you met", J.T. explained. "Muirfield overreacted in trying to kill everyone related, just to be sure."  
Cat's reaction to that was staring at Vincent's best friend, waiting for him to continue because this definitely wasn't the important information.  
"They are headed there? Vincent, Connor and Alex?" she hadn't any patience for him to continue.  
"That's exactly what I thought: this is insane", J.T. shook his head. "She's your mother and all but I am sorry: I can't understand her. Does she really believe that this could work? This isn't Return of the Jedi."  
Cat frowned and left the reference uncommented.  
"This woman was my mother once, but I don't know her. I have no idea and you know what: I don't care. But she's drawing Vincent into all of this for nothing…." her thoughts already trailed off while she was talking.  
Muirfield and Doc Donovan on one place, fighting, trying to kill each other within New York City. This could get huge and messy to an extend that they wouldn't be able to cover it up with waving some FBI badges. This was just perfect to drive them into a corner they couldn't snake themselves out, but with Vincent being there Catherine would risk exposing him to the world as well. Then again he was another proof.  
Cat turned around on her heels pulling out her phone.  
"Where are you going?" J.T. shouted after her in confusion.  
"Getting to that warehouse!" she turned towards him just to answer his question, her mobile at her ear, she ran back to her car.  
The only doubt that she had left, that she couldn't recklessly wipe off was if her sister would be able to handle that fact what their mother had done. Heather would have to; Catherine knew that her sister wasn't as fragile as she always believed of her, as she always wanted her to be. But this was about saving Vincent, about him maybe getting a life, a normal life, and about her mother maybe having more time to make a cure that just would make him completely human again, without risking erasing things. This was about her, about Catherine, getting what she wanted, putting herself first.

The tension between Connor whom Vincent barely knew and Alex whom he seemed to not know anymore was literally visible. Still there were no words dropping from their mouths and they had gotten to Alex's car and now drove to that warehouse, both men in the backseats since the windows there were colored. She wheeled carefully through the New York traffic and obviously was anxious, her eyes moving to the clock in her dashboard. It was almost noon, and time to call in with Muirfield.  
"I have to check in soon", she broke the silence that made her voice sound even thinner.  
"Will they call you to that meeting?" Connor asked and Vincent looked at the guy through the corner of his eyes.  
He had no idea that they had known each other for some time, but the atmosphere and the way they looked at each other, and spoke to each other told enough to let him figure it out. Just like the fact that they have had some bad experiences. Connor wasn't exposing anything. It was Alex's behavior. She acted just like that one time she had flirted with some new colleague at a housewarming party just a little too much because she had been tipsy and Vincent had to work. Later she had admitted to Vincent that she had actually liked him, which was why the guy, who hadn't known about Vincent, had kissed her. After clearing up the situation she had acted around that colleague just like now: tiptoeing anxiously, being afraid to trigger anything. So Alex had liked Connor, maybe a lot, and something had happened. Vincent watched the soldier next to him closely.  
"I guess so, since I'm Vanessa's liaison-agent", she answered, not looking into the review mirror.  
Vincent wanted to ask, to know, just in case he would have to beat up Connor for hurting Alex. Even though she was his ex and would stay a part of his past he still did care for her a lot. Maybe it had to do something with all this she had spoken to him about. Being sired so a pack leader, which in his case could have been Vanessa, and Catherine's mother having prepared a cure, wanting to get out, and all of this getting pretty messy.  
Vincent hadn't said much to all this, because right now it wasn't as important as getting Vanessa out of the equation that was a bunch of secret human-experimenting operations. With her they would have even more proof against Muirfield, as well as maybe even more people like him. That was a lot of pressure on this secret organization. Still he worried if it was wise. Wouldn't Muirfield go after Catherine's family? They definitely would have to move fast. Somehow Vincent felt like this wasn't thought through at all. Vanessa or not. Something seemed totally wrong. Why would she play along for ten years just trying to break free today of all days?

There had been times when Vincent would have confronted Connor with his thoughts, having proof or not, and maybe would have pulled him out of the car and smack him square in the mouth, just to make a point. But he had changed, and apart from that it wasn't his position anymore. Alex was his ex, still his friend but he wasn't her boyfriend anymore and that felt strange. Looking back he could understand why Alex had behaved like she had when they had met last year, and he also could see the difference between her and himself. She never had been able to really draw the ending line, like he had been able to, and she had never experienced the position he was in: being able to deeply care for someone without being in love. Vincent looked at Alex's eyes in the review mirror. There had been no other way for her than to misunderstand him last year and he had been driven by a bad conscience. This time, however, as her look slightly moved and her gaze met his, he could see that she had changed as well.  
"You should call in now", Connor broke into that silent connection being oblivious to it, apart from the fact that something had calmed her down.  
He could hear her heartbeat and he was sure that Vincent did too, just like his. They both looked at each other because there was no way hiding that Connor was more agitated than him. There hadn't been much for the two of them to talk about, because the more or less instantly headed to that warehouse, because Alex had said that Vanessa might either have chosen 12 pm or 2 pm as meeting time. Now it was midday.  
Alex ordered her hands free kit to call the chessboard, which was quite the reference and explained at least to Vincent why J.T. had muttered something about not wanting to be a chess figure. What had it been? A black bishop? It now made sense.  
Connor and him kept completely silent and waited for the call to be taken. It was strange to be that close all of the sudden. Could it be that easy? Or was this another trap? Was Muirfield that less mischievous than Doc Donovan?  
"Orders have been changed", the speaker spoke and it almost sounded like it was an automatic voice, like putting together the words in the right sequence - apart from that there was no 'hello' or something like that. "Your presence is required at …" Vincent knew that address and the he watched Connor looking at the mirror now with Alex looking back. It was that warehouse they had been talking about and Muirfield did send her there. "Black queen is awaiting you." The call was ended.  
"So it had been noon", Connor commented. "Why haven't they called you?"  
That definitely was a legit question but no one had an answer apart from assumptions and none of them were positive and therefore weren't spoken. Vincent couldn't help but have a bad feeling about this and this was exactly what Connor said.  
"Am I the only one actually believing that we can get Vanessa out of there and the cure for both of you?" Alex almost sounded annoyed now.

As Cat drove off, heading to the warehouse at another corner side of the city, she knew she would need at least 30 minutes to get there. There was no real explanation for having the feeling that she would be too late, even though she had no idea for what. Dropping her cell on the shotgun's seat she brought both her hands to the wheel, focusing her eyes on the road. Tess got the call after three times of ringing.  
"Are you okay?" was the first thing that sounded from the speakers in her best friend's voice and Cat figured that she was alone.  
"You remember that warehouse few days ago before I went camping?" she answered. "There's about to go something down, along with Doc and the big M, and I don't mean the fast food."  
Although being cryptic Cat knew that Tess would understand her.  
"We can take them down and end this", she added.  
"Are you sure? What if this is just the tail of the snake?" her partner answered carefully.  
They didn't really know how big Muirfield was, and how far their influence really reached. Possibly this was even government. The chances were there because they already had sent the FBI twice. So either they were extremely good at posing, or they had friends at the right position, or the worst: they were government. The latter would be just the reason to emigrate.  
"It's like huge showdown", Cat explained. "It's something they can't cover up if the NYPD is there to ask questions."  
"Like that big?" Tess didn't seem to be convinces and made her best friend think this through once more.  
"My Mom accepted to return to Muirfield", she thought out loud. "Along with the once at her commando, I guess, since Alex said something about packs following her leader, I guess she'll have one" - though she didn't know that it would make sense - "and Muirfield won't take any risks, and met her with what they've got here. And wasn't this a trap for Doc and Muirfield? I mean picking that spot is an invitation right? So he might come with everything he's got just to place a point. Now imagine how many people that must be. That place will be a battlefield. … And Vincent, Connor and Alex are going to drop in to right that."  
Silence. Still it told Cat enough. Tess was processing, but she also knew that her friend would be on her side on this. However if there was something that she had missed, her partner would be about to find it now. If not…  
"This is …", Tess eventually said. "There's no way Muirfield can snake itself out of this. I'm calling it in, but with what?"  
"Here's the upside of your …" Cat answered.  
"That I'm sleeping with the boss", her friend cut her off. "It's no guarantee that Joe will believe me, you know."  
"We don't have time. I think I'm already too late. I'm going to need backup", Cat responded to that.  
"What?" Tess couldn't quite believe her.  
"I'm heading there", was her friend's answer.  
There would have been a lot to add, but Cat was sure that her best friend already knew by the way her voice had sounded.

If there had been a way to become even more anxious, Alex had found it. Even though she tried her best to remain calm on the outside, her effort simply was in vain because the two men on the backseat could hear her heart racing and her breathing shallowly and fast. She was aware of that, but she did this for her own sake.  
As Alex stopped the car at the coordinates that had popped up earlier in Satnav she inhaled deeply and didn't dare to look into the mirror.  
"You go and do what you are supposed to do", Vincent told her, speaking softly. "We will be there with you."  
His ex-fiancée gave him a brief glance and nodded. Unlike him she was oblivious to Connor opening his mouth obviously wanting to say something but changing his mind again. If she had seen that she would have understood his dark look as she left the vehicle to walk to the meeting point.  
"I am sure that Kara will be there", he said when Alex was out of sight, not that she would have been able to hear them. "And she will go for saving Doctor Chandler."  
Vincent nodded to that, expecting his new comrade to continue. It was odd, to be in such a military situation again, but somehow it felt like being easier, like being somewhat prepared and Vincent did have no problem with the fact that Connor felt like needing to report to him.  
"I will make sure that Alex is save", he continued with determination and Vincent knew that this guy wouldn't let them argue about this, so he nodded again, even though he wouldn't let his ex get out of his sight.  
"And I will be the grand distraction?" he questioned.  
"I doubt that we will need that. With Doc showing up and I am sure that he will, if he isn't already there", Connor frowned.  
"Let's just make sure that everyone gets out safe", Vincent stated. "And how will I recognize Kara?"  
Both men looked at each other now.  
"She'll be the one of Doc's group that will be heading for Vanessa without being attacked by the once she has with her", Connor explained. "And she's the only blond we've got."  
"And you trust her", Vincent asked, trying to ignore the fact that he didn't know this man next to him at all, and that his ex once trusted and now had an issue with him, but J.T. seemed to be fine with him.  
If his best friend did have no problem with Connor he would trust his guts, and apart from that his own instinct didn't file a protest.  
"Okay then", he said after pressing his lips together, bracing himself for what was about to come. "Let's just wait for the chaos and get Alex and Vanessa out of there."  
It's not like they had a choice. Ironically again someone else had made the choice for them. Oddly enough it had been Vanessa once more. A fact both of them deliberately ignored.

Cat had to hung up, so that Tess go to Joe and explain everything to him, who hopefully believe her and would delay arguing with her about keeping all this from him to when this was over. There would be a lot of explanation to do, like tons of it but all of this would be over. With the NYPD involved like that, they could put Vincent into witness protection.  
It would be business of the state marshals and with that he would be out of reach for the FBI. This was a good thing something at could look forward to. The same thing would be possible for her mother and Connor and Kara -even though she had never met her. Still there was this tiny almost inaudible voice in the back of her head doubting, questioning. Was this the right choice? Going all public? Wouldn't it be better for Vincent and for Heather if all of this would stay secret? But then again there was no way keeping so many people out of the public eye. It wasn't like they would have to tell everything to the press. No one would need to know that Vincent had altered DNA. It would be enough to tell them that he was a witness. Right?  
Catherine felt like everything slipped her hands again. She had no time to think this through. No one really had. It seemed like her mother alone had a plan, without having it to anyone, just dropping bits and pieces to a few handpicked people that didn't even really trust each other. At least that was what Tess had told her about Alex, Connor and Kara. Why didn't life have a break button?  
On the other hand it made everything simpler, if this was even a way putting that. Having no choice was helpful to focus on the next step on the things she could possibly influence. Cat would go there. She would be there. She would do the right thing. And she would help Vincent. There was no time worrying about anything else. Like how Heather would cope with the fact that their mother was still alive, because it was unsure if she would ever learn about that. Like if Cat was pregnant or not. Like what effect a possible cure hat. There was no time. Those thoughts flew buy like the buildings outside her window, as she rushed through the streets of New York with her siren on.

The moment Tess was out of the door Heather took her cell and made a call. Her sister's partner had explained her that there was something absolutely dangerous thing going on and that Cat needed her help. Little Chandler was used to this, though she would never say it. Everyone always thought that she had been in the middle of attention, but that was only because she had always fought for it, because Cat and her Dad had focused on her. Secretly though it always had been her big sister. She had been the one witnessing their mother's death. She had been the one crashing down, breaking off everything, chancing her life ultimately. Cat hat been the one their father had been worried about. She however was just the one that smiled and cheered all the darkness away, making it look like it was an easy task when it wasn't. It was quite the opposite, but again: she was used to it. This was her talent. The ever shining sun on the outside, using the pain on the inside to fuel the smile and erase the darkness around her.

Tess knew that this wasn't going to work on the phone, that she actually had to speak to Joe from face to face so that he would believe her and get into action. It was losing time; still she doubted that Joe would believe her just like that. Then the downside was that Cat had their squad car, so she would have to go with her private one. All of this was so frustrating. Her partner was in danger. Cat needed her and she had to drive to their boss asking nicely for help, because she doubted that he took her seriously. Something told her that all of this would be different if she wouldn't be sleeping with him. And still he hadn't left his wife.  
It had been fun. It had been just what she had needed, what she had wanted. And in the beginning she had been happy. Looking back she knew that she had been blinded with rapture. How else would she have started a relationship with a married man who was also her boss? Tess couldn't even figure out when it really had started. Asking him to go to that stupid wedding with her had been one of her not so bright ideas. After that everything seemed to have slipped her control. Yet right now all of this wasn't important.  
It had been okay. She had been willing to accept that he wasn't able to leave his wife. When it started it hadn't even been something to think about. But as their relationship had started to become more serious, everything appeared darker, stern, threatening. And after Joe's brother Darius had been killed everything got worse. There had been almost no way to be with him, although Tess hadn't wanted anything more than comfort Joe. Instead he started to be extremely protective of her, making it hard to do her job. She felt caged.  
Thinking of that Tess knew that if she told him from face to face what was about to happen or happening right now at that forlorn warehouse where Cat had been held captive a few days ago he probably wouldn't even allow her to go. Joe would believe her but tell her to stay put. And this was unacceptable.  
Tess took her cell and dialed Joe's phone, switching lines and drove into the other direction. She wouldn't take the risk and let Cat go into that situation without her. He wouldn't leave her partner alone.  
He needed some time to pick up: "Tess."  
"I don't have much time, something serious is going down and Cat needs backup", she instantly started, she wouldn't give him a chance to cut her off and started explaining as she was rushing down the streets, being not the nicest participant in the New York traffic. "This is serious and she Cat is in danger. And you have to believe me and trust me in this."  
As she continued racing she told Joe everything. Everything he needed to know and that already would be a lot to digest.

Both had waited for Alex to disappear behind that warehouse where the meeting supposedly would take place. She had parked further away on purpose, so that her companions would be able to leave the car without being spotted. The only downside was that they couldn't see much themselves. Vincent was the first to go, instantly encouraging the beast inside of him to wake from its slumber. Even though Connor followed his example it was more than obvious that they weren't from the same generation, since he didn't change in the same way, at least not that extremely. It was like comparing a cheetah to a lion.  
Vincent wasn't used anymore to someone having his back and while approaching the warehouse by climbing that old building standing next to it, he had to get used to Connor's sounds: heartbeat, breathing, movement, so that he could fade him out. Still his beast wasn't comfortable with that, so he let the younger one take the lead.  
They didn't get far; because Muirfield had put soldiers onto the roof of the warehouse they were meeting Vanessa Chandler.  
This wasn't a question of conscience; this wasn't even a question of strategy. If those men spotted the two beasts they would simply try to shoot them. Not that they ever got or stood a chance.  
Connor was the first to go and get there leaping across the rift between the both buildings and jumping onto one of the snipers, pinning him down beneath him. The second solder was so shocked and focused on him, that he didn't see Vincent coming, who landed at the rim of the roof, made a roll to smoothen his landing, using the drive to get up again and grab the man's neck, snapping it. Briefly after that Connor managed to do the same.  
After that both hearkened staring at each other. This was too easy, was it? And soon enough their silent question was answered as they heard something approach this place. Vincent was still trying to compose the beast while Connor already was moving around, preparing the two dead to look like there were actually laying on the roof, doing their work.  
As the helicopter had the building in its line of sight, gotten close enough to see more details Vincent and Connor already had sneaked inside, hiding in its construction. They could hear it coming closer even before four of the fifteen people below them moved their heads: all of them standing around a smaller figure: Vanessa Chandler. And Alex just had arrived in the opposing group which was much bigger, making it sixteen.  
There wasn't any sign of Doc and his beasts.

They kept quiet, scanning that big wall less building with their sharp senses and when someone from down there asked the helicopter for a status, white tower one reported back: "clear". Vincent noticed how Connor frowned. He followed the man's gaze and saw two staples of body bags. Two of those bags were nicely put next to each other while a bunch of others rather looked like garbage carelessly piled up. Counting those and assuming the nearby, subtracting that Kara and Connor were out Doc had lost most of his force. The two beasts hiding beneath the roof looked at each other: how had that been possible?  
"I didn't give you the position for killing", one voice that Vincent had heard for the first time since a very long time just yesterday sounded clearly through this hall.  
It was Catherine's mother speaking. Even though her vice appeared to be calm, just like her figure, he could hear that she was shaken by what she had seen. Vincent gritted his teeth. Vanessa should have known better than that. She almost had been killed herself all those years ago if it hadn't been for him.  
"If it's any consolation, your lover isn't among them, neither is his daughter", one man in a suit whom Vincent had never seen until now answered to her.  
Vanessa was at least now smart enough not to answer to that.  
"We only need one of you whatsoever and it turns out that it is you, since your research wasn't at the facility you named us", the guy continued. "Apart from that your DNA expert would have been able to rebuild Donovan's work anyhow, but not so much yours."  
"I don't need flattery, Gellar", Catherine's mother answered. "I am here. Everything you asked for has been done."  
"We have no proof that Keller is dead or that you have a sample of his DNA and apart from the Donovan's there's still one of his creatures on the run", the man responded to that. "And I mean a usable sample."  
"I know exactly what you mean", Vanessa cut him off. "And I have that. Enough for …" she didn't continue, but everyone in the room obviously knew what she was talking about, Connor and Vincent again and the latter needed all his discipline to keep himself together: enough for artificial insemination. Breeding was all this obviously was about. "And you know that Keller is dead. And about Connor."  
Vincent flinched, but there was nothing he could do as the one that had appeared to be his ally let himself drop, landing right next to Vanessa, the second she had spoken his name.  
"He's sired to me", Vanessa ended, being unimpressed by the soldiers around the suit-wearer pointing their weapons at him, because they dropped them after she had finished her sentence.  
And that was something that stung Vincent deeply.

Cat had no idea if Tess would be successful convincing Joe and she was unaware that her partner already was on her way to back her up. Usually she didn't dive blindly into a pool of uncertainty, but this was about Vincent and about her mother, a woman who would have a lot of explaining to do. If it was revealed to everyone that Vanessa Chandler still was alive it would be her task to explain herself to her daughters. All these years Cat had felt guilty, had tried to protect her family, her sister, to be strong for her father, even though that meant giving up her dream of becoming a lawyer like him. She had felt and known that someone would have to be strong and fierce for protecting them and that it had to be her. Everything that defined her life now had been built on that one experience ten years ago. A fake experience.  
No, Cat knew that she would have to be the one pulling her mother out. She would be the one taking her into custody; she had to be the one arranging the meeting between Heather and their mother, and her father and her mother. And she would be the one her mother would have to explain and justify herself to, for all she had done to her family, and to Vincent. Her reasons would better be really good ones, because Catherine was determined to not making it easy for her, even more she was determined not to forgive her. Not after these few days.  
Anger was so much better than despair. And it both was fed by guilt. When had she forgotten about it? It made her stronger, invincible, it sharpened her senses. Of course it was a lonely path and Cat was grateful for having Tess as a partner, to remind her that there also were other things. She would never give up Vincent, although he made her anger vanish. He brightened up her world in every possibility but in such a way that she forgot about the darkness lurking in every corner. The world was dark, it wasn't black and white, she knew that now, but that didn't mean that some shades of gray were almost black as nightmares. Cat knew that she had to take back control, even if it meant that she had to wear sun glasses when she was around her personal sun. For all she knew she could be pregnant now, for all she knew her mother could be Muirfield now, for all she knew, he could be dead now, or worse.  
She was no weak, crying, helpless little princess. She was a fighter, a strong, independent woman and a part of her knew that she was stronger than Vincent, than Tess, than her sister or father and they all needed her strength. She couldn't let herself be consumed by all this. She would fight each issue, one by one, and she would defeat them. Time wouldn't be running out. Not for her. Everything was solvable. Cat would get there, Tess would bring backup. They would take her mother in, arresting the remaining members of Muirfield and promise all others protective custody. Then her mother would have enough time to make sure that the cure was working right and Cat would still have 12hours left to take that frigging pill. Everything would be fine. And after that they would take the bridge when they got there.

Vincent needed a moment to digest what just had happened, realizing that all of them had flinched and Connor wasn't looking to him. So he took the moment of shock the others were still in to move away. Still his former partner didn't move his head unlike all the others. There were 3rd generation beasts and they could most likely hear him. They should actually, so why didn't they? As Vincent held still again, he knew. There still was the helicopter making his circles above the building. Maybe their hearing wasn't as good as his, maybe it was because he listened into the same direction the sound of the rotors was going.  
Still there was something off about it. Vincent couldn't really tell what it was, he simply knew and he didn't feel well about it.  
"Keller is dead"; Connor broke the silence and drew the attention back on him.  
"And how do you know that?" asked the man who had been called Gellar by Catherine's mother.  
"I helped them escape. I heard how one of them said that he was dead and", the man made a dramatic pause. "I couldn't hear his heartbeat, which indicates that the person is dead."  
Gellar obviously looked at Chandler now.  
"He wouldn't lie to me", she said.  
"Unless you tell him to", the suit wearer answered. "I don't trust this siring stuff at all and I don't trust you, Doctor Chandler. You betrayed us once and we let you go away with it, but how does one say? Fool me once?"  
"I am here", Vanessa repeated. "I did anything you asked for in return of keeping my subjects and me safe and my family out of it. I gave you Donovan and his work. What proof do you need?"  
"What Donovan offered me", was the blunt answer.  
Silence claimed the hall beneath him just being disturbed by the sound of the helicopter hovering above them. If surveillance was its task why did it stay above this building? Had it spotted something?  
"As far as I recalled I gave you exactly the same", Catherine's mother answered. "Stick to the deal or it's off."  
"Vanessa", Gellar responded to that. "You might have your creatures, but you're still outnumbered. You might flee, but we'll find you, you'll come back for your children."  
Her reaction was not like Vincent, or Alex had expected: she nodded. Just once, brief, determined.  
"I won't give you my daughter. Donovan lied. He didn't find a way to make breeding possible", she said and Vincent spotted how she pressed on something in her hand, which made no sense, even though he could hear a sound spreading from it.

Tess had made no doubt about it that she had been serious. Even though she hadn't been able to explain everything about the situation, when Joe heard about heavy weapons and multiple possible kills, he knew that she wasn't kidding. But in fact it had been just one information that made him jump into action: that this organization was connected to the murderer of his brother. And that into his face chiseled determination was it that made Evan walk right at him after he had finished his testimony about the incident at his place. Something Joe hadn't been involved with until now.  
"What's all this about?" Evan asked bluntly. "The same that attacked me?"  
For being the one who supposedly was in charge Bishop looked a little bit too confused about the second question, so he medical examiner continued: "There were heavily armed men attacking me at my place, because of the information I gathered about old cases. My ex Claire told me that they called themselves Muirfield and she was a part of them. The one I killed in self-defense?"  
Bishop just stared at Evan and repeated: "Muirfield." It had been the name of the organization Tess had spoken about, the same that was connected to the death of his brother.  
"Yes, it's about them", Joe nodded, even more determined about getting to that place. Now he had even more proof and reason to get there.  
"I'll go with you", Evan responded and turned away to get his jacket and his boss said nothing against it, simply because his mind was occupied with other things like barking orders.  
Usually as victim of such an attack as Evan had been, he should be heading home or somewhere he felt safe and not be a part of a mission he wasn't really trained for. Luckily Joe had other things that needed this attention and didn't know why he needed to get there: because Kara might be there.  
So it was no surprise that he was sitting in the same squat car where Joe took seat in the shotgun. Both of them were nervous for their personal reasons. For Joe Bishop it was a surprising and shocking revelation that behind the murder of his brother would be a whole organization that still was in action in his city and he couldn't help but wonder how they were related to this. Evan on the other hand was deeply worried, because of what Kara had said, how she had looked at him. Although he had known her for just a few hours, it felt like much longer. Parts of her reminded him of Catherine: her strength, her invincibility and her restrained but deep emotions. But unlike Cat, Kara needed him. He simply knew that.

Catherine could see the helicopter hovering from afar and the sight left a piecing pain in her stomach. There was no way approaching this building without being spotted, so she stopped. It was almost staying all the time above the building, at least when she first had seen it. She called Tess.  
"Cat", her partner instantly took the call and she could hear that she was driving. "Joe's on his way with backup, we're gonna get them."  
"They have a helicopter", Catherine quickly responded to that, to lessen her partner's optimism, but knowing that Tess already was on her way relieved her, even more than the fact that their boss was coming too.  
"What kind of, not a military one?" was her reaction.  
Cat killed the engine and got out of her car to get a closer look.  
"No", was her answer, "It's a civilian, but…" she narrowed her eyes, trying to spot the passengers, seeing something else as well: "I believe there are three… " the chopper moved and she quickly took cover behind her car, which was pure instinct and maybe not the wisest choice.  
Still she lurked across the hood to see that it had moved away from the building and out of her sight, so she sneaked around the car at the other side.  
"They've just opened one of the sides", Cat reported to Tess, who was listening closely while driving recklessly to get to her partner.  
The connection was bad so she wasn't sure if she got that last sentence right, but she could hear the chopper in the distance.  
"Cat? Cat what's happening?" Tess shouted unnecessarily.  
"They've opened one of the sides", she repeated and involuntarily straightened up, because of what she saw. "A bazooka?"  
"What?" her partner answered at the other hand.  
"Call Joe, they have heavy military weaponry", Cat answered and cut the call, blinking once to make sure that she really saw someone with long blond hair holding a bazooka while the helicopter moves further away.  
There was no way destroying that building with just one of those things.  
Then again who knew if that building wasn't already prepared? Her experience of the last few days told her that there was a possibility when Donovan was involved. Cat was stunned for a moment. Vincent was in there, her mother was in there. Every proof she needed was in there. A chopper for surveillance wouldn't have bazooka. This was just too strange.

Vincent had no idea what Vanessa just had done, but he knew that it was something that would have an effect soon. He would simply have to wait. Yet he sensed that he might not have this time.  
"If you don't want to hold your end, Gellar", Catherine's mother continued. "It is fine with me. Then we will leave and you can go and report your financiers that you have failed. So it's up to you. Guarantee that you erase anything you have that connects my family to me and we will join you. Don't and you won't get a thing."  
From his position Vincent could see how Connor was balancing his stance and he could tell that he was focusing on Alex who accidentally stood right before him. He remembered that man's determination for keeping her safe.  
"What makes you think that I let you leave?"  
In that moment Vincent knew what effect Vanessa's button had, because he could smell it. It was just a faint odor and he possible was the only one that was able to scent it, since obviously the senses of the later generation were weaker than his. It was gas. And realization made him freeze.

Cat cautiously moved closer to the building, making sure that none of the passengers would see her coming closer. She had to get into that building and everybody out. Somehow she had to warn Vincent. Why wasn't he already leaving if he heard it? When she proceeded further she passed a big pipe that lead up to the roof of the other building and she changed her mind. The risk of not being able to get in and out of that warehouse was too big, trying to get down that chopper or at least distract if was a better chance. So she started climbing, silently praying that they wouldn't shoot before she had a reached the top.

"Originally I had hoped for Donovan to get here as well", Vanessa explained and surprised almost everyone in the hall. "Since he had picked this spot in the first place. I wanted to get everyone a chance to … fight this out. But with learning that you already went after him, killing his men left me no other choice but to take his place."  
Gellar frowned and then laughed: "You want to take us out?"  
"Do you really think that I trust you? Do you really think that I believe my family will ever be safe as long as I am alive or anything I have created?"

Cat always had been quick at climbing or any sports, but the pipe was slippery and she tried to keep monitoring the helicopter that was slightly moving. The blond woman was still aiming at the warehouse while the man sitting next to the pilot watched it though field glasses, which made no sense, unless it was maybe able to see heat images.

Tess felt like she didn't get any closer to this damn place, no matter how far she pushed her old car. She had no siren and with that no chance to get through that traffic. Just a few blocks and she would be able to get to that warehouse. Hopefully Cat would wait for her, but her guts knew better, she herself knew better. Telling Joe about the chopper didn't really make her less anxious about getting to her partner's side. Luckily he hadn't been alone in the car so he hadn't been able to tell her that she should stay away. Tess had heard their sirens, so she bet that they maybe even would come there at the same time.

"You aren't talking about killing everyone here, right?" Gellar made one step back and now it was Vanessa who laughed.  
"No, the gas I just released is to make sure that you don't start shooting and blow us all up", she spoke calmly and Vincent could hear that she in fact became more calm. "And the injection I gave everyone this morning and I mean with everyone my soldiers, is about to reverse… well it's an anti-virus. So if something happens to me or you break any deal we make, you won't have anything. No super-soldiers, no DNA-changing virus."  
"But we still will have you", Gellar cut her off triumphantly. "And we still can go after your family."  
"You really think that after hearing my plan until now, that I won't be prepared for this as well?" Vanessa questioned and exhaled loudly. "You know in which field lies my expertise? And apart from the virus in my system that I developed for the last two years that only doesn't attack my body on a DNA basis if I get a certain injection… there is still some soldiers who are sired to me and whom I can order to kill me, right here in the spot."

Cat had reached the top of the building which offered her no hiding spot, even not when crouching down, but obviously the focus of the three people in the chopper was the other building. So she got her gun, reluctantly aiming it at the helicopter in front of her. Was there even a chance to damage it with a simple weapon like hers? This wasn't an action movie. And what if she actually did and made it crash down? Three lives against Vincent's, her mothers and possibly more. Yes, she would take the risk, but what if it went down into the other building?  
Then suddenly they noticed her, meaning the woman with the bazooka first. She looked at her first in disbelief and then like she was scared for her? When their eyes met Cat felt the sting of recognition. She knew that woman; she had seen her before, but briefly. This was Kara Donovan. As the chopper moves away from her she instantly knew who was sitting next to the pilot: Doc Donovan. Why was she siding him all of the sudden? Wasn't she on Cat's mother's side?

Everyone in that room was frozen for a moment as they realized what Vanessa just had told them. As the silence crashed down on them the utter truth of her words came down with it. She was sacrificing herself and maybe even willing to sacrifice them.  
The chopper was still outside hovering and no one on the inside actually knew that it weren't Muirfield associated in it but Donovan, his daughter and his remaining soldier, with Kara aiming a bazooka to the building which was slowly gassed.  
"I will destroy everything, Gellar, if you don't agree", Vanessa continued. "You'll kill yourself if you tell your men to kill me right here and now, apart from that you will have no one to reverse the serum I gave my men. Donovan will never ever trust you know after what you have done. So you either let me go and run, or you'll agree. Either way…"  
Catherine's mother faltered and it was Connor who instinctively caught her. Vincent watched and tried to understand. It looked like Vanessa had been the one who had planned it all out more than perfectly, even more genius than Donovan; still it looked like she would lose. Although the gas was slowly filling the warehouse he still could smell other scents as he gave in a little bit more to the beast inside him. And she smelled sickly. Still the sound of the rotor above him was annoying, but it was too loud for him to hear Catherine on the other building, because she had tried to be unseen in order to get closer to the chopper.

The blast of the helicopter as it moved in front of her almost swiped Catherine off her feet and she lost aim. Still she tried to understand which role Kara was taking in all of this. Something just didn't seem right. The expression on that woman's face didn't fit her action. To Cat is seemed like she was fighting with the older man in front of her through the microphones. If she could only hear what they were saying.  
It was the way how Kara tore her eyes open as she looked at her and how she mouthed something. It was a completely different expression to her father, who glared at her in triumphant anger. There was something that Cat didn't know.  
As Kara looked towards her father again, who still glared at Cat, she didn't seem to argue anymore, yet she still aimed the bazooka at the warehouse, though it appeared as if she was lowering it again. Catherine frowned, was Donovan's daughter pleading now? His answer to her was brief, like a bark, definitely a "no"; then he added something and Kara's reaction was instant and strange: she aimed at the warehouse again and released the safety catch. As she turned her head towards Cat as far as possible without losing the aim, to her it looked like she needed too much strength for the movement than is appeared to be natural. And again she mouthed something. This time Cat understood.  
"Run!"

Vincent could hear the helicopter above him move; like it had seen something and he had to fight the urge to climb back to the spot where he had entered the warehouse with Connor to take a look. There was something else as well, something he couldn't put anywhere, that made him restless and the Beast inside him along with it. Or was it vice versa?  
His glance fell down to Vanessa again, now being aware that she didn't just inject herself some virus or serum that was weakening her. She smelled like she was dying and the way how Connor behaved around her: he had known. Still the man didn't look up, didn't betray Vincent's position and with what Catherine's mother had said in the last minutes she definitely still wanted what was best for her children. She knew that as long she was alive her family was in danger. This woman has spent the last ten years just like him, no, worse than him.

Run. It was almost like Cat was able to hear Kara's voice in her head and she had seen enough to understand that this woman didn't want to do what she was about to do, what her father was ordering her to do, being her pack leader. How could a man do this to his own child? Forcing her into obedience. Kara obviously hadn't receives a special treatment, had she? Had Doc really tricked Cat's mother into believing that Kara had a free will so that she wouldn't see the need to help her like she had helped others? Or did Alex just take everything completely wrong?  
Though her reaction was immediate her thoughts where much faster than her movement and she felt like being under water, fighting against the slow motion the adrenaline put her in. She turned and ran. Away from the warehouse everyone was in. Realization hit her like a bullet: Vincent, her mother, Alex, Connor and who else even. She had to warn them. And so she did the only thing that came into her mind, hoping that it would work: she shot. Downwards to the ground.  
Cat didn't question Kara's warning. If that woman told her to run, the one that had helped hiding them so that they could run when Vincent had been at the brink of death, if Connor who had saved them trusted her, she would believe her, she would trust her gut that screamed at her to run, because - Cat almost lost balance and slowly her sight, because tears were gathering in her eyes - that meant that this bazooka was able to blow up that place.

Just as Vincent felt like he was relaxing again he heard something. It was muffled by the sound of the helicopter's engine and rotors but still. A gunshot, then another one. It made him flinch. That sound came from the roof but not of the building he was in. It couldn't anyhow because Conner and he had killed the guards. It had to be the opposite building and the third shot was further away than the second. But the chopper wasn't moving. The beast inside him roared at him and Vincent followed his instinct and moved.

Barely Cat managed to stop at the edge of the roof before she ran across the rim, and looked down if there was a way to get off. She turned around and shot once more, before she pulled in as much air as she was able to do just to scream at the top of the lungs. Like she did almost two years ago in that metro tunnel as she had run behind Vincent after he had saved her.  
"Get out of there! Get out!"  
Her throat and lung hurt after that and she fought the dizziness as she tempted she shot yet another two bullets. She had to get off the building. Cat knew that, still she didn't, fighting down her instincts of survival. She should have shot the helicopter; she knew that she should have done that instead of fleeing.

Vincent jumped from one counterfort to the next, as beneath him Vanessa's men became restless and Connor looked up, seeing him move. Gellar followed that head movement and followed. This distraction obviously was enough.  
"Up there!" the suit-wearer yelled, pointing at him but turned around as guns were lifted upwards: "Don't shoot! The gas!"  
Connor moved forward, pushing Vanessa back into the arm of the man that was standing behind him, and grabbed Alex. Suddenly the whole hall was in confusion. The Muirfield men wanted to use their guns, just reminding themselves that Doctor Chandler had spoken about gas. Vanessa lost balance obviously being even weaker than she appeared and Alex shrieked.  
And then Vincent froze, the other Beasts with him, because they all heard it. Despite the chopper. They heard Catherine scream.

Someone was pressing the slow motion button. The temperature seemed to drop along with it. Cat held her breath and the world did along with her. Even though it was impossible she felt like she could see Kara pull the trigger, like she could hear the metallic noise that followed. She watched how the bazooka shot and flew, slowly, so slowly. And then fast forward. It was almost beautiful. A fluffy cloud of red, yellow, orange, and gray, and black. Like someone had brought the sun down to Earth for a split second and the wave was huge. The cloud swallowed the helicopter before it reached her.

The blast swiped Tess almost off her feet, hadn't she been standing in the door of her car that she just was about to get out off. She could feel the heat on her skin and the stench of the explosion. The sound of it swallowed everything, also the sirens further down the street.  
Joe and Evan and the cars that had followed them, just like their police chopper weren't far away. In fact they were close enough to watch the explosion blast up like a volcano coming to life.


	18. Soldier On

Chapter 18 Soldier On

Pain. Before everything else that was what she remembered, even though she wasn't sure which kind of pain. Now she felt numb and heavy. Catherine knew this perception too well and although her thoughts seemed to flow like old honey in her head, viscously and sluggishly she knew that she as on drugs, most definitely pain killers. This meant two things for sure: she was still alive and not at the warehouse anymore.  
Her eyes felt glued and her limbs like someone had put them into concrete. Cat wondered if this was because of the meds or other reasons. First she had to open her eyes and that was actually not an easy task. Breathing, breathing seemed to feel strange as well and that was when she realized that she had been tubed. The next thing was her hearing a beeping sound that suddenly sped up and her eyes flew open like she had torn the rubber band that had held them close.  
"Easy, Miss Chandler", a calm voice spoke to her and she looked for the source.  
It was an elderly man in a white coat. Everything around her was bright and clean. Of course. She was in a hospital. There had been an explosion. She had watched it. She had been too close. She had been blown off a building. There was no memory of the impact. Only pain. Only fear. She hadn't been afraid of something. She had been afraid for something, someone.  
Her thoughts were interrupted by the doctor talking again: "Breathe in deeply on one and exhale on three", he told her. "One … two… three!"  
He pulled out the tube and Cat could feel the movement inside her as the foreign object was removed. She had to cough heavily still. And that was when she realized that she had her right arm and left leg in cast. Her leg was strapped up. That did explain something. Instinctively she lifted up her left hand to her head which was bandaged. Her eyes searched for the doctor again and Cat opened her mouth to say something.  
"You shouldn't speak now, your throat will be sore for some time. Drink only sips and slowly", he said with a warm smile.  
Somehow he reminded her of her father.  
"I know that you have got a lot of questions", he came closer and lifted up a flashlight. "Please look at me", the man asked her and checked the reaction of her pupils, nodding briefly. "But you need to rest. I know that you will tell me that you have rested enough, but, Miss Chandler, you haven't."  
Despite him being surely right and her feeling in fact tired Cat wouldn't give up talking. She needed to know for how long she had been out. And suddenly there was this fear back again, that one that she needed to understand so badly. Closing her eyes she thought that she might be able to rewind the memory but first she needed to know for how long. Her limps still in a cast she knew that a broken bone needed to heal up to 12 weeks tops, but at least 6. She had broken her arm once and her little sister a led. So she knew. Why could she remember this and not..  
"There were complications", the Doctor gave in. "I was warned that you wouldn't calm down unless told you that you have been asleep for almost a month."

Again Cat's heart monitor was beeping wildly and she fought hard to compose herself. It didn't feel like that. She could move pretty fine and so she slowly shook her head, which wasn't that hard as well. Maybe it was the meds as well?  
When the doctor handed her over a mug with a straw, she took it and sucked in a little sip of chamomile tea. Swallowing did hurt in her throat, but it would get better, would it? So she had been in an artificial coma for almost a month, she had been tubed, there had been complications… Cat eyes were burning slightly and she might even have a headache but then again she was on pain killers for sure.  
"We'll call your family", the doctor said. "Please rest. We'll answer to all of your questions."  
Since Cat felt tired she nodded and handed back the mug to close her eyes. Yet just briefly because for a second she doubted that she was in fact in a hospital. How could she be sure that this wasn't Muirfield? So she watched the man leave to get a glimpse of the world behind her door, which looked normal, and a view around. There were flowers and balloons. Would they really make such an effort?  
Again her eyes dropped and she dozed off.

First Cat needed to orient herself again, opening her eyes to remember what she had learned just before. She had no idea for how long she had been out but then there was no sign of her father or Heather; and in the room there had nothing changed as well.  
The fall, the blast, losing balance, the fire, holding breath, a gunshot. She had fired. Several times. She had run. She had screamed. A chopper. A missile. Hitting a building. The warehouse.  
Catherine sat up as straight as possible with her arm and leg in cast. Her heart monitor made a new record and the door flew open with a nurse coming in hastily. The woman relaxed a little when she saw that her patient was just upset.  
"Detective", she said softly, almost motherly. "You are safe, you are fine.  
Cat opened her mouth to speak before the nurse could stop her, but there was coming no sound from her throat, just soreness.  
"You will be able to talk soon enough", the woman continued to speak in this warm tone and smiled: "I will bring you something to write so that you can communicate with your family, ok?"  
For this she earned a nod. The nurse wouldn't be able to tell her anyone if they had pulled someone out of the exploded building or not. Cat tried to stay calm, to close her eyes and sink into the soothing darkness, but all she saw was this explosion, how the helicopter was swallowed by it, how it staggered before she got out of sight. The explosion repeated over and over in her head but she had seen nobody leaving that building. Vincent. He had been in there, hadn't he? Vincent, her mother, Alex, Connor and who knew else.

Cat had passed out again and before she opened her eyes for the third time this day she felt something wrapped around her left and free hand. She looked up to see her father, who appeared to have aged since the last time she had seen him. However as he noticed her being awake that changed at least a little. His face brightened up and he smiled softly at her, giving her a peck on her forehead.  
"Welcome back", he said lowly as he sat down again and his daughter had no idea what to respond to that.  
Seeing her Dad's reaction to her, to all of this made her feel so bad and she couldn't help but ask if he knew, if he was aware that his supposedly dead wife had been in that building.  
"Where is Heather?" she asked instead, being surprised that her voice actually did work, even though it was hoarse. "And Brooke?" Cat added and tried to smile as well, shoving away those more important questions when it came to her life, but right now she just wanted to know that her family was safe.  
"Getting coffee", her father answered with a crooked smirk. "Heather was too anxious and wanted to wake you up instead of waiting for you."  
"That's my little sister", Cat's glance dropped to their hands and exhaled heavily. "I'm so sorry, Dad."  
"No, no, Catherine, don't start with that", her father shook her head and looked sternly. "It's not your fault."  
She swallowed dryly, trying to fight down the tears. Not knowing was so brutal, she'd rather preferred to be oblivious like Heather or her father.  
"They haven't told us on which case you were on, but obviously you did great and fortunately you survived it", her Dad continued.  
"Have they told you anything?" Cat blurted out, unable to hide her worry in that moment.  
"Cat!" Heather stormed towards her, just to realize that she couldn't grab and hug her older sister, so she wiggled and made little jumps instead. "You're awake! Yay!"  
Behind her stood Brooke, smiling softly.  
"I'm so happy that you've made it", she said, reminding Catherine of what her doctor had hinted, what four weeks of artificial coma meant and she nodded slowly towards her stepmother and friend.  
"Could you", Cat spoke slowly, "tell me how bad it was? If you know about it?"  
Silence spread and smiles vanished. It was Heather who started grinning and sat down on the rim of her bed, opposite to their father.  
"They say you are a miracle", she explained, sounding proud. "Being swiped off that roof landing on your back, just breaking one arm and leg. They suggest it must have been the blow that changed your angle of impact."  
"Some organs were harmed and they weren't sure if you would lose them, that is why they put you in a coma", Brooke added.

Cat could tell by the way her father frowned just slightly that there was more and that they didn't want her sister to worry, but before she could say anything her Dad already spoke: "You didn't bring me a coffee?"  
His glance moved to Heather's and Brooke's cups.  
"Oh", his wife said, though she didn't looked too surprised, yet Heather rolled her eyes, which was something no one had expected.  
"Okay, I know", she sighed annoyed. "You want me to get that cup because you want to tell Cat what you won't tell me, right?"  
Something had changed about her and it had been something irreversible. Her elder sister could tell what it was and wondered how much time Heather had spent with Tom Gordon since they had found that footage showing their mother.  
"I am her sister, you know?" the younger Chandler spoke eerily calm. "Which makes me part of Cat's family who is allowed to ask her doctors questions concerning her health. So here's the deal", Heather turned towards her sister again. "When they first brought you in you already had died once in the ambulance and they reanimated you. Their first examination said that you had several ruptured organs and broken bones, which was why they put you into a coma. They never expected you to wake up or get better. But then you did and they made the same tests, which had completely different results. They already took off some casts and your arm and leg were severely injured but they will take of those casts as well soon. You are healing faster than you should be."  
Catherine swallowed dryly again, fighting to remain calm. Instantly she had to think of the infusion she had gotten from Doc. Had it been more than just hormones? Or had someone survived and tried to help her survive?  
"They explain the different results with the splinters and chards that had been flying around due to the explosion of the warehouse you had been at", Heather continued. "The paramedic that got to you first told me that a rotor of that chopper that crashed down just missed you for inches."  
This was an other information which was hard to take in. So Doc and his daughter as well as the pilot had crashed as well and were maybe dead too?  
"I need to know", Catherine managed to speak more calmly than she had expected herself. "What happened. I need to know if there were any survivors, how many corpses were found, if anyone survived. This is essential to me. Where is Tess? Is she good?"  
"Yes!" Heather exulted. "She's actually outside speaking to some special agents or something who need to ask you some questions about the case you two investigated."  
Cat's heart dropped. Special agents: this meant FBI. Muirfield posed or had been covered by FBI or FBI agents.  
"Dad, Heather, Brooke, I'm sorry, but I desperately need to talk to her, could you?" she asked and received sympathy.  
Almost one month.

Catherine's father squeezed her hand briefly before he got up, looking seriously and she knew that there was something else on his mind, making her frown.  
"And you should talk to Evan, he's waiting outside as well, maybe even before you talk to your partner", he told her, leaving her in confusion, but before she could say something Heather was leaving over to give her a peck on the temple.  
"He'll explain", she whispered and Cat suddenly felt completely lost.  
There was no chance to ask them what all this was about; she only could watch them leave and she was alone with her puzzled mind for some moments.

Catherine stared at the door waiting for Tess trying to keep her mind empty and herself calm, desperately fighting against the questions that rained down on her, that felt like acid on her heart. She needed to know. She needed Tess to tell her that Vincent couldn't be here because there would be too many questions and that her mother still was in hiding.  
When the door finally opened that what had felt like an eternity turned out to be just minutes. Cat hadn't expected that it would be Evan who entered, but somehow she had prepared herself for it, because of what her sister had said. Nescience was torment and it needed to end. If he would be the one to do so, Cat was fine with it and the main thing was that it would be over.  
That expression on Evan's face was hard to read and Catherine felt tired already, still there were already corners of his mouth lifted up and his eyes matched at least a little. It was relief, she was sure of it, still something was different about him. Just like with her sister before. She watched him move and step to the side of her bed to sit down where her father had sat just minutes before, taking her hand just like her Dad had done.  
"Evan…" her voice was failing; she couldn't bear watching him staring at her hand and not looking at her.  
"Tess is still talking to the agents", he eventually said, still avoiding glancing at her. "and tries to be vague about the warehouse and everything that led to it. She was there when it blew up and Joe and I were just arriving. She found you. You were barely breathing and I tried to keep you alive."  
Cat blinked, her eyes burned again, but she kept silent, scared that he wouldn't continue telling her what had happened if she did anything, even made a sound. Yet how his voice was slightly uneven, how tensed he appeared there was no way from stopping the tears from gathering in her eyes.  
"It burned to the ground and the FBI came to help us out with gathering samples. That helicopter you told Tess about went down as well. Doc is dead. He jumped out of it but didn't make it. The pilot died and… we found DNA samples that identified his daughter but it's still unclear if she died in the flames or escaped."

Something about what he just had told her seemed to upset him, but Catherine didn't know that he had known Kara, Donovan's daughter. The only thing that was important to her, what she did really hear was that Doc was dead; he was gone, the one that had haunted her and her mother. Yet this was just a crump of all she needed to know and Evan still held her hand.  
"We didn't find corpses at the warehouse", he gave her a brief look. "So… all we know how many different samples were found and now the files are officially closed. There will be no further investigation. At least not by the NYPD. That's why the FBI is still here and they obviously had hoped for you to wake up. They have asked us a lot and they go to information that they shouldn't."  
"Evan", Cat pulled at his hand now and he automatically looked at her in a way she didn't want him to, but she needed to know and he was leading away from that topic that was inevitable. "You need to tell me."  
"Some of the samples I couldn't match and I really don't know why the FBI let us investigate anyhow, maybe because they are suspecting some of us to be more involved in the case, which is true", he responded.  
"Evan", she repeated in a pleading demand. "Please."  
"There's something else that I have to tell you first. It is important that you listen to me now and don't forget about it. You doctor told me that he hasn't told you, but your father and Heather know and she has told me, because we had to explain it somehow so that there weren't any suspicion", her friend moved to turn himself towards her.  
"Evan", Cat exhaled inaudibly and for a brief second she didn't want to know anything.  
"They don't have any explanation but they repeated the analysis and…", obviously he really didn't want to be the one to tell her this; he sighed and his gaze dropped. "You're pregnant."  
Evan cautiously looked up at her again to see how Cat's face was absolutely blank. This wasn't anything she wanted to handle, or know or wanted at all right now.  
"The FBI knows", he added, "I don't know why. Maybe it wasn't important to them at all but with Muirfield… well, Heather told your father that its mine and I played along. It's just .. .you should know that before I tell you anything else."  
Minutes passed without Catherine reacting at all and she wasn't really able to think, though she made attempts at least subconsciously. She didn't want to think or feel at all, but her body had a will on its own, obviously, because it had refused to die and regenerated and healed itself in a way that was inhuman.  
"You know that it's only safe to tell when twelve weeks have passed and you're in the fourth. Usually one wouldn't know but they have tested you for everything very thoroughly", Evan spoke just to reach her.  
"They are …. dead?" Cat seemed to come to life again and her eyes fixated on him; her question completely ignored the information he just had given her. "All of them?" this was when her voice broke and a tear ran down her cheek.

Evan didn't answer instantly which was enough for her to tell. Catherine closed her eyes, forcing more tears to flee her eyes and she turned her head away.  
"I can't tell for sure", he tried to comfort her, to stay positive, as well for her and for himself, thinking of Kara. "DNA samples don't guarantee that the person … just because we found DNA doesn't mean that they died there, it just says that they were there."  
"But it burned down", Cat's voice was husky. "How much DNA can withstand such a fire? I saw how that building blew up in a huge explosion. If you found DNA after that…"  
"Cat", Evan sounded harsh now and she looked at him just out of instinct. "There's no guarantee that they are dead. You are right that the chances … but there's no guarantee, you hear me? I already declared him dead once and he came back."  
She straightened up a bit and swallowed down her tears, freed her hand from his grip and swiped of the ones that covered her cheeks. Yet her eyes were empty. Just when her friend opened his mouth, still trying to find any words that might be helpful the door opened again. Cat's head moved way slower than his.  
"Cat", Tess entered and closed the door behind her cautiously.  
The brightness on her face faded as she saw the dead expression on her best friend's face.  
"You told her?" she addressed Evan reproachfully and stepped at the other side of the bed, and carefully gripped the fingers that lurked out of the cast.  
"Would you both stop that?" Cat pulled away. "I'm okay. I'm doing fine, right? I'm healing fast, too fast by the way, has anyone asked questions about that?"  
Evan and Tess looked at each other in confusion and worry.  
"Have you tested my DNA?" Catherine looked at her male friend and sounded much to composed for the situation she was in right now, and he shook his head.  
"You haven't thought of that?" she now asked the both of them and inhaled. "How about you get a syringe to get a sample. If Doc's infusion…. I can't …"  
Cat breathed deeply to stop herself from breaking and fought to focus on what was here and now. Evan did the only thing that he felt he could do to make her feel better: he got up and nodded once: "I'll be back in a few."  
"Thank you", was her reply and somehow she managed to lift the corners of her mouth a little bit, even though her eyes didn't join this facial expression, quite the contrary: he could see wetness in them.  
Quickly he turned away, his look just briefly grazing Tess who looked more than determined, before he left.  
"Cat", Tess started when they were alone but her friend shook her head vehemently: "No, just no. Don't say it. I don't want to hear it."  
"You have no idea what I'm about to say", her partner argued and both women looked at each other.

Tess knew exactly why Cat behaved like this, because she couldn't bear any of it. She just had learned that her mother and the man she loved were supposedly dead. What in the world could she possibly tell her to make that information less painful? She knew that her friend rather have Muirfield on their heels even Doc Donovan back if that meant that Vincent would be here with her, but in fact she hadn't heard from him, Connor or Alex in a month.  
"Heather knows", Tess chose to say and caught her partner's attention. "She figured it out and I told her what I know. She's been hanging with that Tom guy and believe me J.T. isn't that happy about it as well."  
"J.T. is fine?" Cat commented, again not going for the core information; however Tess reacted with a nod.  
"He moved in with his girlfriend. His life appears to be plain normal now unlike to others", she responded and as her friend tilted her head, she continued: "I told Heather that her mother, if she was still alive, might have died in that fire. She wants to talk to you about it and she doesn't blame you for not telling her. Tom seems to be quite a support."  
There appeared a tiny smile on Cat's lips.  
"Those flowers are actually from them", Tess emphasized the last word, pointing at a huge bouquet of sunny flowers. "And those are from J.T. and Sarah. They visited you a few days ago."  
White roses and lilies Cat noted. Somehow fitting.  
She rubbed her eyes with her free hand, feeling so tired all of the sudden.  
"So what's with those agents?" she wanted to know.  
Everything else was better than to think of what she sooner or later had to face and accept or handle.  
"They barely have talked to me what this is about", Tess answered. "I don't know I think they won't talk to me because I fake ignorance to them. But ever since you told me about what the big M is capable of…."  
"The big M?" Cat repeated and raised her brows.  
"That's how J.T. called them and now we all do", her partner shrugged.  
"We all?" that was how skepticism sounded.  
"J.T., Sarah, Evan, Heather and I", Tess responded.  
No Vincent, no Alex, no Connor, no Mom. Catherine swallowed dryly. This would hound her forever. She fought hard to swallow it all down: the tears, the pain, the loss, the sorrow. It was too much. And her best friend could watch how she threatened to crash and there wasn't really much she could do about it.  
"Did you know that Kara saved Evan's life by killing Claire?" she suddenly asked.

This had been the distraction that Cat had needed and she didn't even realize it for a moment. She looked at her partner in puzzlement and Tess nodded: "Super woman Claire was with Muirfield and threatened to kill him so Kara who went with her decided to break her neck."  
"So Evan owes her his life?" Cat asked the obvious.  
"I'm not sure if this is the only think why he acts so … different", Tess frowned. "Not that he hadn't been off for quite some time, but that was just because he had sided with the wrong people. He doesn't really mourn Claire but… he's obsessed with finding proof that Kara isn't dead and …"  
"That Vincent …. the others aren't dead as well", Cat finished the sentence.  
Now it would be the right time for someone to enter the room, but it didn't happen. So Tess sighed.  
"Do you need something?" she asked and her friend shook her head: "Apart from rest nothing much. But send in those agents. I'm in a hospital. My family have seen them, you have seen them, the probably won't try to kill me here."  
"Are you sure that you want to talk to them?" Tess questioned and her partner nodded slowly.  
"I don't think that they will leave until I have", was the response.

In her life Cat had learned that the outer appearance of a person never seldom mirrored the character but rather reflected what the others should see: either how that person wanted to be seen or wanted to see when looking at the mirror. Uniforms made fitting in more easily and saved time thinking about how one wanted to appear, still there were thinks like haircut, accessories, shoes and demeanor left.  
Maybe she would have caught more about that man and woman, who entered her room several minutes after Tess had left, if she hadn't been so tired and tried to focus on not spilling information. However they were both older than her and the female agent surely appeared to be the eldest in this room.  
"Special Agent Finch, and this is Special Agent Smith", she introduced them and the lack of reaction to Cat's cocked eyebrow told that they had experienced this non-verbal comment to their names a lot.  
"Agents", the Detective nodded her two guests. "How can I help you?"  
There were more remarks jostling on her tongue but she kept them from jumping out of her mouth. The less words the less information the better - one of her father's rules and as a lawyer he surely knew what he was talking about.  
"You can tell us everything you know about Muirfield, Doc Donovan's branch and your mother's involvement and how you and Specialist Keller ended up at that warehouse", Special Agent Finch responded unemotionally.

Of the entire question that had been possible in her mind this one hadn't been among them, so she was taken by surprise, blinking at the woman that could have been her mother - at least in age. Obviously they knew more and maybe they weren't even Muirfield agents, but who could tell?  
It was Smith that stepped closer and next to her to the bed where her arm was in a cast. He looked more friendly than his partner, but this surely was part of the game.  
"We're straight forward here, Detective", he said in a friendly but determined tone. "Because we know perfectly well what you've been through and that there's nothing we could tell you that you might actually believe us. So please excuse us for being blunt."  
Finch stayed where she was, folding her hands, resting in her lap, looking expressionless, like she was used to being her younger partner the more diplomatic one. And it was him who continued.  
"Actually we've been here all the time since you … or rather Donovan took that Muirfield branch out to make sure that they wouldn't show up here and try to harm you", he explained, making Cat frown. "We've been after this organization for years and as you can tell they've got friends in the highest positions of economy and government. You were the first person who managed to give us real evidence against them."  
"Even though most of it has burned to ashes", Finch added and made a step towards Catherine's bed - apparently now it was her part. "Which makes you our most important evidence."  
Instantly, even though not instinctively, Cat thought of the growing evidence inside of her and swallowed dryly before she could stop herself. It didn't seem like the two agents had noticed, yet silence spread inside this room like the first frost of winter.  
It was Cat's part now apparently and she had no idea how to respond to that.  
"So you've been the agents assisting my department with the investigation of the warehouse?" she asked the first question in her head and both FBI associated affirmed. "And you are telling me that you have been investigating Muirfield?" she added skeptically, looking at both of them.  
"Detective", it was Smith who answered her while she felt being monitored by the other one. "They have made illegal experiments on humans for years. They started out as contractor of the government until we got material about their DNA manipulation from the inside."  
"This whistle blower was your mother", Finch took over the lead again, but Cat needed a moment to digest what that woman had said. "We lost contact with her soon after and we assume that the failed experiments as well as the threat of being exposed forced Muirfield to undertake extreme measures."

Catherine shook her head now. This was too much. There wasn't anything that could make her change her mind about her mother betraying her family. Not even that she gave up her life, risking it even to take Muirfield down? Hadn't she tried to protect her family? She couldn't believe how similar she was to her mother. Still there was no way to forgive her. Maybe because of that slight glimpse of hope that with the energy of her anger her mother would stay alive, somewhere hidden, like the last ten years, along with Vincent.  
"So, Detective", Smith spoke, his gray eyes oddly warm despite their cold color. "Is there anything you can tell us? Or do you need proof that what we told you is true? I mean, your partner already checked our ID's."  
"Twice", added Finch and for the first time she seemed to express and emotion: amusement. "And Doctor Marks - as I believe", she continued. "Secretly checked out DNA."  
"What do you want me to tell you?" Cat asked instead of spilling information, even though both agent had been pretty clear about that.  
And because of that they didn't answer but just look at her.  
"I don't know if it was Muirfield or Donovan who found about Vincent Keller or my involvement", she answered eventually . "Fact is that he kidnapped me and maybe even tried to experiment on me. During just a few days so many things have happened and I've been in a coma for four weeks, It's hard to remember details", Cat tried to explain and fixated her eyes on one non-existing point. "We figured that he in fact was after Vincent and I were more or less bait. However I found out that my mother was still alive and planning on leaving Donovan and returning to Muirfield. But in the end this wasn't her true intention either."  
"That is right", Finch agreed with a nod. "On that day of the explosion she contacted us, giving us information about Donovan and that branch being active in New York."  
"So you were on your way to that warehouse as well?" Catherine figured, looking at that woman questioningly and took her by surprise.  
"Yes, we were", she answered and again there was a display of emotion, which was quite the opposite of the earlier one. "When your partner alerted the NYPD we decided to step back, in case another branch would make efforts to get to the ones that you would arrest. Unfortunately that never happened."  
Cat remembered that kind of action perfectly.  
"So how many branches are there?" she wanted to know.  
"Honestly we can't tell", Smith responded to that and his glance darkened slightly. "Ever since the contract was canceled and Muirfield has gone underground it was close to impossible to track every of their movements and there were other organizations with higher threat levels."

Cat's facial expression jumped between frowning and cocking brows, but despite her weariness she was able to wit hold the sarcastic remarks on that answer. Simply because she had learned enough about Muirfield to know that they probably had enough recourses to even mess with the real FBI.  
"And now Muirfield is dangerous enough?" she asked instead and Finch answered with a nod: "Thanks to you and your mother."  
Catherine swallowed dryly again and Smith walked around her bed - since his partner obviously wanted to stay in a respectful distance - and handed her over her water so that she could take a sip.  
"I know you have doubts about us, about everything", he said being all friendly, and at had to admit that he was very good at that. "But your friends now that we are the real deal and we really want to take them down. It will however take time and we need all the support we can get, and any information."  
"Detective Chandler", Finch stepped next to her partner. "We are offering you to join us. Join the FBI and take them down with us."  
Cat knew that Agents could do that, tat with a recommendation of one of them anyone could apply and train for the FBI and become an agent, but that would take time as well. She shook her head.  
"We're not talking about the usual process here", Finch interpreted her reaction. "You have most valuable intel in that matter. We've seen your files. Your partner and you have extraordinary results. You were even a perfect match for the bureau without being in this special situation."  
"So you are offering her to join us as well?" Cat tried a distraction and by the way both looked at her, she could tell their answer: "She's my partner, we're a team and inseparable."  
"So she played dumb to cover you", Smith grinned now and turned towards Finch. "I told you."  
"Yes, dinner's on me", the woman grumbled.  
"What… about the warehouse", Cat forced herself to bring out the words like having to spit out too hot food even you know that's the worst thing you can do. "Do you know?"  
She hated herself for asking that. She hated herself for destroying her own bubble of hope as she saw their faced turn blank and earnest. There weren't no words necessary for her anymore, seeing these expressions. Hopefully they wouldn't say anything if they didn't have any good news.  
"We actually don't know how many people were in there", Smith answered just when the silence became unbearable. "But there were DNA traces of your mother in there, as well as the ones we knew where in her charge. Doctor Marks probably already told you, since you are close."

Catherine clenched her jaw and nodded briefly.  
"Look", Finch used a tone that made her obey instantly. "Personally I really don't care about your personal relationships. I've read the material your mother managed to send over and I … we know that you were involved with Specialist Keller and that him being in that warehouse wasn't only about your mother or his ex-fiancée, but about you as well. Donovan was just as thorough as your mother. This is about Muirfield and them only. Your mother guaranteed to us that she can reverse everything."  
"She can?" Cat cut off Finch. "To reverse the DNA-alteration she would have to be alive and Vincent would have to be alive. So it doesn't really matter, does it?" Closing her eyes for a moment she breathed in deeply. "You want to take them down. I'm in, because I do want that as well. For them."  
"First you have to recover", Smith commented that and before he could add something Finch placed her hand on his shoulder. "And apparently you need rest. Here's my card", she pulled one out of her blazer and placed it on the night table next to Cat. "Call us whenever you feel ready to share."  
Catherine Chandler nodded. So the real FBI - still she couldn't quite believe it - now had a team on hunting down Muirfield and they wanted her to be on it. Apart from that they couldn't or wouldn't tell her what she needed to know most: if Vincent was alive.  
However now wasn't the time to rest obviously, because when those agents left Evan did enter, reminding her of what she had told him earlier.  
"Let's do this quick I need some sleep", she mumbled already dozing off.  
From his expression she knew that he wanted to know what she had spoken about and if she got any knew information.  
"Sorry", Cat said lowly and flinched as he stuck the needle into her vein. "If you want to know if they know about Kara you have to ask them yourself."  
Evan was surprised by her comment but didn't answer to it, just took a blood sample and put a band aid on the spot.  
"And… thank you, for saving my life", she smiled weakly at him. "Again."  
"You're welcome", his voice sounded hoarse.  
"And for everything else, Evan", Cat added, knowing that he would understand; for being a friend, for trusting her judgment, for pretending to be what he wasn't so that there wouldn't be any suspicions about her being pregnant.  
It was just four weeks. Right now she couldn't think about that. Not now. She closed her eyes and instantly fell into a deep and dark sleep.

Cat's arm prickled which made her frown. She had thought that Evan already had been finished with taking a blood sample or did he need more than one? She opened her eyes just to flinch. That definitely wasn't him, because he didn't have long hair. There was no way switching on the lights or calling the nurse because her solely functioning arm was held tightly by that woman who was injecting something into her infusion needle.  
Catherine inhaled deeply to scream.  
"Cat", a familiar voice stopped her from doing that. "It's me, stay calm. I'll get the lights."  
She couldn't trust her ears and waited for the lamp of her night table to bring light into the dark room. It happened and Cat stared at Alex in disbelieve. Instantly she knew that there was something different about her, even though she couldn't tell what it was. Until she realized that those former blue eyes were now greenish and seemed to reflect the light.  
"Alex", hearing her own voice speaking out that name, made her heart jump, because if she was alive, this could mean that Vincent had survived, and her mother. "Alex!" she repeated more loudly just to remind her that she actually was seeing Vincent's ex sitting next to her and injecting her something. "What? How? Why?" the words started tumbling and her heart monitor was freaking out.  
"Cat, relax, breathe", the former nurse spoke softly and placed her hand on her arm soothingly. "What I gave you is what I have given you every night since you came into the hospital."  
"How?" Cat wanted to know. "Vincent? My mother?"  
"I used to work here, you know", Alex responded to the first question. "And sneaking in is quite easy with… them", she pointed up at her eyes.  
Catherine blinked, so she wasn't hallucinating about them, still right now she couldn't care less:" What did you give me and what about Vincent? How is he? Is he alive?"  
"It's a serum your mother developed to increase the regeneration rate", Alex explained. "She had been injecting this herself because she was dying."  
All Cat heard was Alex talking past tense.  
"Everyone thinks you are all dead, now stop avoiding the topic and tell me everything you know, now, or I'll scream", she demanded to know and Alex's lips formed a thin line as she looked down on her hands.  
"I'm sorry", she eventually responded and her eyes wandered up to Catherine's again; there were tears. "Your mother's gone."  
When it's freezing cold and one needs to inhale deeply, need to catch for breath, one shudders when that icy air fills the lungs and still there's not enough oxygen. That's how Vanessa Chandler's older daughter felt like.

In contrast to that the tears that ran down her cheeks felt like burning acid. She managed to remain calm somehow.  
"Vincent?" her own voice sounded strange in her ears, hoarse and weak.  
"I don't know", Alex's answer was quick just like the pain it produced. "Connor pulled me out and all I can remember is that he threw your mother up towards the ceiling. I'm sure that Vincent saved your mother but he was gone when I came back to consciousness and… I was severely burned. We all were. I still can't explain how Connor managed to bring us to safety. Maybe Vincent helped and got back. I… Connor…. we don't have a hospital you know and the serum… your mother insisted that you were the first priority. So I took the virus since the serum works much better on …hybrids."  
"So that's why the eyes?" Cat answered, hoping that this topic would distract her from the fact that Alex couldn't tell her that Vincent was alive.  
At least the explosion didn't kill him.  
"Yes", she responded with a soft nod. "My eyes were burned. I was blind. So the virus along with the serum healed that first. I don't know what else will change."  
Vincent's ex seemed strangely cool about her state.  
"So you'll take the cure when you're completely healed?" Cat wanted to know.  
"Your mother never made a cure for the virus I took. It's a fourth generation virus", Alex looked at her with those reflecting eyes. "It's not sure if the cure she managed to create for Vincent and Connor would have an effect on me. Apart from that… I need to go, Connor needs me."  
She got up, but Cat stopped her: "Why? Is he still bad?"  
"He tried to save others and insisted on being the last to be treated. We're running low on the serum. Even though you won't need another injection after today it isn't enough for him", Alex explained.  
"Talk to Evan. He has a lab. We made a serum for Vincent once, he can help", Cat managed to smile at her.  
"I will… somehow", was the response to that, but she didn't turn away since Cat hadn't let go of her.  
"Why did I heal so fast? Is it just the injection or because?" she needed to know if it had to do something with her being pregnant, but as Alex frowned she wasn't sure anymore if she even knew about that.  
How could she know?  
"I can't really explain", she shook her head. "Your mother couldn't either. Even though she suggested that either Doc did inject you a virus… the only other possibility is a rather impossible one."  
So it could be her being pregnant, even though it was impossible. Maybe she had become pregnant because of this serum in the first place?  
"How long did she…?" Cat couldn't speak out the question.

Alex gave Catherine a long glance before she answered and apparently there were a few things Vanessa Chandler had wanted her oldest daughter to know. Looking at the woman Vincent once had wanted to marry she could see that caring kindness she herself had experienced after being shot a year ago. Yet she also saw that reality had taken its toll on her and her nativity. In some ways she was similar to Heather and Cat realized that it was in fact cruel of her trying to keep her younger sister safe and sound for all costs. She could have died falling down that building and Heather would have been without her big sister to protect her, and helpless, clueless even.  
"Three days", Alex eventually answered. "She only did take pain medication but she refused everything else, because she was already dead. That's what she said. She had died ten years ago."  
There was more, Catherine could tell, but she closes her eyes and frowned. Even for her there was so much she could take now.  
"You should sleep", Vincent's ex said softly and there was a clicking sound of the light switch and just a blink of an eye later the door fell into its lock - Alex seemed to be quite in balance with the change she was going through.  
Although Cat was terribly tired, sleep didn't seem wanting to come to her this time. So she kept staring at the ceiling until her eyes were used to the darkness and she could count the little holes in the panels.  
Donovan was dead. Her mother was dead. Connor and Alex had survived. No one could tell her if Vincent was still alive but on the other hand they hadn't found him yet. However Alex just had told her that he didn't die in the explosion, so there was a chance that he still was out there. But why hadn't he come? And what about Kara?  
A cold chill ran down her spine as the solely reasonable possibility crossed her mind: there were more branches of Muirfield. What if those who had died in the explosion hadn't been the only ones? What if they had taken Vincent?  
Cat wanted to leave her bed, just to be reminded by the casts that this was impossible. Hopefully they would come off soon.  
Hope was a crazy thing, especially when it met impossible things turning true like her fast healing and her being pregnant. Who knew? Maybe she wasn't even pregnant but the serum Alex had been giving her was messing with her blood results. Some things impossible should be impossible. Not that she wouldn't want a kid. Actually she never really thought about it, since never any relationship she ever had had been serious enough to even think about maybe even getting married. Though Cat didn't really think of herself that way. She didn't need a ring or a wedding and kids? Pondering about such things she figured that she shouldn't be wondering about being unable to sleep.

Sleep always was short on that thin mattress and the only way to stop his back from hurting were push-ups, which made him wide awake again. Yet what did he need strength for? Those bars building his cage were unbreakable, even for him, even if he made himself half insane with rage. Maybe there was something in his water or his meals. He felt weak. Somewhere in the deepest darkness of his mind was lurking his beast, shivering from cold and weakness, because he didn't know, Vincent didn't know if Catherine still was alive or if he had lost her.

Vincent knew that it wasn't that late and that he wouldn't be able to fall asleep soon. He had been out for quite some time after the explosion. His memory was merely a blur, fragments. It was always like that when the Beast took over fully, ripping control out of his hands to be faster. Day for day the pictures put themselves together like a puzzle. He remembered catching Vanessa, carrying her away from her daughter's voice, then the explosion, fire, pain, placing her down. If she had told him to look for Catherine or not it didn't matter, she couldn't have, because she was without consciousness.  
There were pictures in his mind of Connor carrying Alex, who was holding her eyes but he had looked way worse than her. Yet he couldn't tell where they went, because he had left them behind, trying to find Catherine.  
"Vincent", he heard her voice again and turned his head - instead of her he had found Kara.  
Despite leaving her to her own he had pulled her away from the burning wreck that once had been the chopper. Her injuries would have been lethal for a human. Vincent remembered that he had seen the corpses of an unknown Beast and Donovan, Kara's father. Why the beast had saved her, he couldn't really explain.  
"Are they close?" she asked him, breathing unevenly.  
"I don't hear them either", he responded to her and watched her getting up from the mattress slowly.  
Flashes of memories of her wounds appeared before his eyes. If he hadn't stayed to help her she probably would have bled to death, despite her altered DNA and enhanced regeneration rate, and despite her telling him to fuck off and let her die.  
He had never gotten the chance to look after Catherine, because to help Kara Vincent had to calm down, at least enough to make her a compress. There had been sirens. However briefly after that he had been knocked out, hit by a tranquilizer dart. When he woke up again he had been in this cell and the only thing he had done in the last weeks was watching Kara's recovery. Strangely or not so strangely they had put the both of them together and he had the chance to use his skills as a doctor. And of course they had taken blood samples of the both of them. The only upside he had realized was that apparently they hadn't moved. Vincent still wondered about the reason.  
Ever since Kara had woken up from her state she was behaving like she doubted her own senses, like she was paranoid and Vincent had the strange feeling that those who had captured them had done something to her. Vincent himself had supposedly been out for a few days as well, so he couldn't tell. He felt fine and he knew that his weakness, his listlessness had another reason.  
"We need to get out of here", Kara said lowly as his eyes followed her.  
"Do you have any idea?" he responded.  
"Two actually", her voice still was a little bit unsteady but something about her demeanor was different now.

They've had a little time to get to know each other ever since Kara had first woken up. She already knew who he was while Vincent had heard her name once or twice and whose daughter she had been. Yet her calm and cool reaction alone to the news that Doc was dead, which had almost seemed to be close to relief, had given Vincent enough to trust her statement that she hadn't been on his side, that she hadn't wanted to hit the trigger and that she hadn't known that her father had been aware about the gas in the warehouse.  
There had been no line when they had known that they could trust each other and none of them could tell if there even had been a development towards that state. After this time which was - so Vincent thought - about three weeks since Kara had awoken, they were the only ones in this place they would trust, even though the people who came to "visit" them always treated her differently, as if they wanted to spread doubt.  
Kara had turned towards Vincent in a pose that was covering her mouth and she spoke quietly, because they both assumed that they were on surveillance.  
"Two?" Vincent repeated just as lowly and supported his cheek on his fist.  
"Well, I'll leave the choice up to you", Kara answered to that. "Either we start fighting each other, so they will try to separate us and we use the chance to break out, or I try to make them believe that I am still sired to my father or fake creating a sire-bond to one of them."  
"I'm not sure if that will work", Vincent frowned slightly. "What about if we play along with them? Like I start to act like I don't trust you."  
"Could be a possibility as well, but do we both have the patience?" Kara asked. "I mean, you've got someone you need to get back to and…" she stopped herself from finishing her sentence.  
There spread silence between them, until Vincent merely whispered: "You know that Catherine was there. You saw her fall."  
"No", Kara sat up and looked at him with determination - a demeanor she hadn't showed a lot since they shared that cage. "I saw how the blast pushed her off. She didn't fall. Different angle, different crash. And you heard the sirens. I am sure that Evan was there to save her."  
"You know Evan?" Vincent's confusion made him forget his worry and sorrow.  
Kara never had talked about Evan before, so he wasn't aware that they knew each other, and by the expression on her face he could tell that she had tried to avoid talking about him.  
"Yes, I kinda saved his like as his ex Claire wanted to shoot him because he didn't want to join Muirfield", Kara shrugged, obviously trying to end this topic quickly; but at least it made Vincent smile faintly.  
"So he's the one you want to get back to?" in his own ears he sounded like J.T. now and wondered if his best friend was safe.

If this best friend was safe, he probably would be safer than in the past ten years now. So thinking about the possibility to manage breaking out Vincent wondered if he should go back to his old life or just leave. Not that he needed someone to connect to. This had been the reason in the first place why he had come back to New York and to J.T. His best friend always had known what to do and despite Vincent always trying to do the best thing, the moment he had stood in front of J.T. that night, he had done something wrong, something severely wrong. And he didn't want to make the same mistake again. Yes, he had needed J.T., he still needed his best friend, but what J.T. needed more was to be safe.  
"I don't like it when you brood like that, Vince", Kara ripped him out of his thoughts, grinning mischievously. "You're thinking about being a martyr again. You know that I won't allow that. She is alive. I know that as sure as you know that my father's dead. And we're going to get out of here so that I can spit on his grave and that you can… well… get your cure and live happily ever after just like in the fairytale you dream about when you manage to sleep."  
Vincent blinked in embarrassment.  
"Yeah, you heard me and I can hear you, why do you think that I sleep when you're awake?" she teased him and chuckled.  
"So where's that spirit from all of the sudden?" he cocked one brow and tried some payback. "Maybe you have a fairytale of your own?"  
"Oh", she raised both of her brows coquettishly and moved her legs to the side to sit up more straight. "Maybe. Or maybe I'm just tired of your permanent depression."  
"Says the jumpy one", Vincent mocked.  
"I just don't want to be mistaken for someone else by you in case you sleep walk", she laughed briefly and turned serious on the spot. "Do you think that they want that? Continue where my father left off. Do they think we are animals?"  
He lifted his index finger and drew a circle by moving his wrists: "Why one cage for two prisoners when they have that much room?"  
"Maybe they want us to fight", Kara frowned.  
"Then they would have used a smaller one, wouldn't they, so that we start to irritate each other", was his response.  
"Well you do that already perfectly with that size", she grinned at him.  
"You too, because you snore", Vincent smirked back at her.  
"No way!" she was playfully outraged.  
"You're sawing." - "Liar." - "Like a lumberjack."  
Kara threw a pillow at him and he dodged with a laugh.  
"So much for faking a fight", she murmured lowly.  
"I have a better idea", he answered beneath his breath.

It had been quite an idea and somehow - so Kara figured - the most believable. While explaining to her what he thought might be the best solution, she sat down next to him, getting closer than she normally would. They spoke lowly, which had started to become normal for them and sooner or later they knew that someone would show up. Vincent did this for Kara, who had been jumpy and insecure most of the time. They had spoken a lot and told their life stores to each other. Strange to say that he felt her life had been worse than his. He doubted that he ever could bear such a betrayal. Her mother's and brother's death had been an accident. Even though she had drunk booze it had been enough to doubt, to argue and Donovan had been absent. Nothing that Kara had done or might have done had given her father the right to do this to her.  
On top of that letting her believe that she had been different from the others when in fact Doc didn't even trust his own daughter enough, giving her the same treatment knowing that it would lead to her being sired to him. And still Kara was willing to go on, to soldier on, finding another cause, another reason to live for. Maybe not with the same passion, but with the same spirit. Without Catherine there would never be a fire burning inside him again, but he could try to live from the memory for her. And maybe, just maybe there really was this tiny bit of hope that she was still alive and she would suffer without him. He needed to get out of here just to make sure.  
When they came the only thing they could see was him shivering and Kara holding him, looking terrified and as the three men came closer doubtingly his body started to tremble. His friend didn't need to act, he could tell, knowing about her past she would simply try to picture one of the most terrifying moments in her life: the accident. And all that Vincent did was remembering those moments that had driven him insane, and those that had made him mad with rage.  
Vincent had to admit as he felt his beast stir for the first time in weeks that he had missed it. He hadn't been able to tell if it had been just asleep and waiting for him to need it, or if it had been weak and worn out by the devastation of Catherine's possible death. But now when he called out to it, actually teasing it with all those images: of her kissing Evan, or her fading away in his arms as after pulling her out of this wreck, of her being attacked by Muirfield and of her lying shattered and bleeding in the gravel that was surrounding that warehouse, slowly dying and waiting for him. As he thought of whose fault it was that he hadn't found him, that these people were actually keeping him imprisoned: he didn't need to act either.  
"Please do something!" Kara was suddenly sobbing towards them. "I don't know what's happening! What did you give him? Can't you see? He's in pain!"


	19. In This Together

◊ Chapter 19 ◊ In This Together ◊ R

Kara kept throwing pleas against the men who had come into the large room, where in its center their cage had been placed. For Vincent it was easy to act like her words were true, because he was in pain although not in physical one. Somehow he was happy to feel how the beast inside him awoke and the snarl that ripped through the room was real and exploded from his own throat. He had seen Catherine fall, being swiped off that roof by the same explosion that had carried him away from the crashing building, gnawing off his skin that already had healed weeks ago. The guilt of having failed her had made him numb and taken away his will to go on and with it the beast inside him. Realization was turning his insides out.  
"Help him!" Kara yelled, but Vincent's ears heard 'help her', and all his eyes saw was the picture of his nightmares: him holding Catherine's lifeless body.  
The lights went on just as one of the men ran off to hit the switch that would open the cage.  
"Don't you dare open that cage, Soldier", a sharp voiced barked through the room that deafening it almost echoed and Kara's fingers clawed into Vincent's shoulder.  
"No", she breathed out inaudibly. "No way."  
Her tone was like a cold shower and Vincent instantly knew that something was absolutely and ultimately wrong. Yet right now it was impossible to stop the beast from surfacing to stop the changing and that voice he had heard just made the beast inside him even angrier. So he jumped onto his feet, turning around to leap towards the bars and snarling towards the man that should be dead, because he had been dead.  
"Oh, I am happy to see you too", Doc Donovan said sarcastically but with a smug grin on his face as he limped into the room supporting himself on a cane. "Specialist Keller", he added as if Vincent should be honored to be acknowledged as a human being, but he didn't show any reaction to this - Kara however not so much. "And you of course", her father addressed her now and - willingly or not - she got up on her feet and straightened up. "I am very happy to see you fully healed. Unfortunately I cannot say that I will ever be restored. However I am grateful for Muirfield to put my pieces back together", he chuckled now. "But with losing Vanessa they didn't really have a choice, right?"  
Both Kara and Vincent tensed now, but while he was still glaring at Doc, she rather appeared paralyzed.  
"I should thank you for that", Doc continued, looking at him now. "And I am truly sorry, that you leaving them behind to save Catherine didn't come to fruition, so I am even more grateful that you saved my daughter."  
If there had been some reason left in Vincent's mind it was erased by these words. Although he knew better than Doc, because he had saved Vanessa Chandler. He could recall bringing her to Connor and Alex and he had seen both of them alive. So either he was lying or they had killed them all.

Doc was neither taken aback nor impressed by Vincent's hostile behavior and since he wasn't the other men weren't as well. This hadn't turned out as planned.  
"It is time, that we get back to work, isn't it, Kara?" Michael Donovan almost sounded gentle as he talked to his daughter.  
Although Vincent didn't see her the beast inside him sensed how she tensed up in that moment her father spoke out these words.  
"You will step out of the cage now, Kara", he ordered her. "And if he" it was unambiguous whom Doc meant, "tries to break out, you will attack him."  
Now Vincent tensed as well. This was what she had told him about, this obedience that Donovan had managed to code into the cross-species DNA her generation had received. Kara didn't say a word of agreement or anything else and as Vincent turned his head towards her she was standing at the gate, watching him. There was only one thing he could to right now and that was what he did: changing back. It was close to being painful, but surely not as much as Kara just felt like.  
First he smelled it and then Vincent saw a single drop of blood running from her right hand that was clenched into a fist. They both breathed in deeply, but while he was composing himself, her breath was trembly.  
One of the men walked over to the release button and Vincent sat down, which instantly made Kara's body relax, but not so her expression.  
"We will work on that with you", Donovan smiled at him, without his eyes joining his mouth. "Since you both are the only one's we've got left, Muirfield cannot afford to lose you again."  
"We'll find a way, Kara", Vincent just said as she stepped through the gate that slid open. "I'm not leaving you here."  
Everyone around them frowned in confusion, because he sounded so sure and sincere speaking out something that seemed impossibly to them. Yet Kara smiled at him.  
"I'm not leaving you either", she responded and the gate closed again; she had followed her father's order. "We're in this together. No one gets left behind."  
Now Vincent was the one in confusion. How did she know the phrase his unit said out loud before each mission? Quickly his eyes flashed to her father who showed no reaction and he instantly knew: it must have been Vanessa...  
"Follow me now", Doc told her, ignoring their conversation and Kara moved in the exact moment as her father did turn around.  
There was something in her eyes that froze the air and the three men that had entered this room before Doc had made sure to keep about space between them and her. Vincent saw it was well and it made him shudder. Loathing. And he knew that whatever this man would order his daughter: she would obey but her feelings were still her own. If Kara had been paranoid, jumpy and afraid before, now it all was consumed by the hatred she felt for that person who had brought her into this world twice.

When she was ripped out of her sleep Cat had no idea how late it was. Her eyes needed some time to adjust to the bright light that was burning them and blinding her.  
"Get up we need to go", she couldn't believe this familiar voice belonged to the person that grabbed beneath her shoulders and pulled her u into a sitting position.  
For a moment she was ignorant about her plastered leg that wasn't hanging in the air anymore.  
"Heather?" she frowned in disbelief.  
"We don't have time sis", her sister responded, who already had Cat's bag shouldered and now was grabbing her legs and pulling them across the rim of her bed.  
"Are you kidding me?" Catherine answered to that. "What is this about? It's in the middle of the night!"  
"Cat, seriously, can't you just trust me on that?" Heather moaned.  
"How am I supposed to walk on that cast then?" the elder sister gave in softly. "And why can't it wait? Am I not save with FBI agents ordering my safety?"  
"Yes, about them", the younger one retorted. "They won't keep you safe for long, because Muirfield is back and they know that you are here and we doubt that those two will be able to protect you if M really wants to get you."  
Catherine was pulled onto her feet and looked startled: "Who are you and what have you done to my sister?"  
"Really, Cat, that's not funny", Heather was piqued.  
"Why do I feel like we just switched roles?" her sister frowned again.  
"That's because I had to be you for the last four weeks", was the sighed answer. "Apart from when I was with Brooke and Dad, but now is not the time, okay?"  
"Heather, really, what's going on?" Cat was concerned now.  
"Tom's spyware sensed an intrusion into the hospital's system. They hacked the patient files, they know that you are here and they know about you being pregnant", Heather answered and wrapped one arm around her sister's hips, pushing her forward. "I'm protecting you and my nephew or niece. I'm being responsible. Isn't that what you always expected of me?"  
"I'm sorry", this was the only answer Cat could think of right now.  
"First we have to get you out of this room, there's a wheelchair down around the corner", and Heather continued to guide her forward, supporting her, putting her elder sister in awe.  
"Tom? Like J.T.'s hacker friend?" she asked carefully.  
"He's a PHD, okay? He's a professor at the university, okay?" suddenly the younger Chandler appeared a little too sensitive; and she instantly realized that her older sister was aware of that. "And yes he's my boyfriend. And no I don't want to hear that he's too old for me. It's less age difference than Brooke and Dad."  
"Damn, I missed a lot", was Cat's comment on that.  
"You bet."

It was in fact in the middle of the night, because it was absolutely silent and the main lights were switched out as both sisters stepped into the corridor. Catherine frowned because there was no one standing in front of her door although she had expected a guard or something.  
"Tess cleared the way", Heather whispered, reading her sister's thoughts.  
"I really can't walk with that cast, lean me against the wall and get that wheelchair", she spoke under her breath, receiving a hasty nod as answer, as well as a sorry.  
This seemed more like a sister. Almost four full weeks. So many things had happened and no sign from Vincent. Nothing. Catherine asked herself if they just didn't want to tell her the truth? No. There was only one explanation: that other branch had gotten to him and now they had to break them free. She wouldn't accept anything else.  
As her little sister returned with the wheelchair Cat caught her movable hand resting on her stomach and she swallowed dryly. Heather had spoken about saving this as well. It was just four months. Everything could happen. She had to talk with Alex about this, if the results could be a side effect of the injections she had given her. Because four weeks. She didn't even know that one could get a positive test after four weeks.  
Cat managed to sit down on her own and stayed silent. Her sister seemed to be too occupied with her task than to notice that and wheeled her down the corridor quickly to the elevator where Evan was waiting. He looked tired and worn, like in those first nights after Vincent and she had saved him from being killed in the old railway tunnels. Something lay heavy on his heart and Catherine almost instantly knew what it was. He hit the button for the first level and when his hand sunk down she took it, making him look at her in slight surprise. Yet as she smiled softly, he mirrored her expression sincerely, before he lifted his other hand which had been covered by his body and brought up his cell phone, speed dialing a number.  
"Telling Tess we're in the elevator", he explained raising just one corner of his mouth, which almost gave him this special dashing smirk that made him look so British.  
"You planned everything out perfectly, what?" Cat chuckled.  
"No, that was J.T.", Evan answered. "He's waiting in the car and Tom's sitting at home monitoring the cameras."  
With that binging sound which reminded him of Kara every time he heard it the elevator opened and the three of them left. Now Heather brought her cell up to her ear and listened to whomever was speaking - definitely Tom, so her sister thought. Without a word the pushed the wheelchair onward passing the empty reception and towards the exit, where Tess came running to join them. The only thing Cat was able to do now was raising her brows in astonishment, because just seconds later J.T.'s car pulled by and she was already lifted up into Evan's arms.

Tess opened the shogun's door and Evan placed her on the seat, putting on her seatbelt while her partner and her sister got into the car. Cat watched all of this in awe and turned around her head to Vincent's best friend when Evan pulled the door behind her shut.  
"Hi", she said to J.T. helplessly.  
"Hey there", was the response she got as well as him hitting the gas.  
"So what's the plan now?" Cat needed to know and looked into the mirror because she could barely move.  
"We get to the precinct where we split up", J.T. was the one who spoke. "I drive Heather home and then I back to Sarah, while Evan's gonna x-ray both your casts to see if they can get off already."  
"I got everything we need at the lab", Evan threw in, touching her shoulder.  
"Then Tess and he will bring you to our safe haven", J.T. finished.  
"Did you know?" Cat frowned, knowing that she had to add something if she didn't want to get confused replies. "That Alex came to me injecting me some serum so that I would heal? She was just there with me earlier."  
Silence occupied the remaining space of the vehicle.  
"You knew?" Cat burst out and turned, almost hitting J.T.; she would have if it had been her left arm that had been in a cast. "You knew that she and Connor are alive and you didn't tell me?"  
"There wasn't time", Tess responded, but it hadn't been her whom her partner had addressed.  
"I'm sorry, Cat", Evan answered downhearted. "I …"  
"He's not really been himself lately. Calm down", Heather came to his defense. "Apart from that you just woke up! Could you please act like that?"  
"Apparently nothing about me is normal, so why should I act like it", Cat muttered, sitting back down again. "I shouldn't even be able to move without pain", she added, more talking to herself. "And I wake up to this", her eyes moved up to the mirror once more. "It's just… I guess I'm not used to be the one that is kept in the dark."  
She tried to smile now but failed. However she could feel how Evan's hand returned to her shoulder and squeezed it gently.  
"You know that Kara shot the missile?" Cat said lowly, sensing how he tensed. "That's the last thing I remember. And that she warned me. Told me to run, before she did that. I think that was this siring thing you were talking about. Can you imagine your own father…." she cut herself off and tears gathered in her eyes, thinking of what her mother had done.  
"We found traced of her DNA, more than of Vincent's", Evan said, leaning towards her. "But no corpses. They could be alive."  
"If they are", Cat gave back. "Muirfield has them."

It felt somewhat awkward for Cat to sit on that table where Evan usually dissected and examined possible murder victims, but if it meant to get rid of the casts she would ignore that fact. Still she was dressed in the hospital gown and although she was alone with her friend she didn't worry about that fact. The only thing she did worry about was that he hadn't made a single remark or a witty comment about anything else concerning her. He kept silent, just like the weeks before when he had been suspecting her of hiding something.  
Cat watched Evan closely as he brought the electronic saw to the cast of her arm. It hadn't been switched on yet.  
"You care a lot about her", the question that had been dancing on her tongue slipped out and made him flinch; luckily he hadn't started yet.  
Her friend exhaled, but didn't answer, instead the saw began rotating.  
Cat pressed her lips together just like her jaws. She knew that Evan was an excellent surgeon and not meant to be in a morgue, but she wasn't sure if he was good at removing those things, especially with a tool that he usually used to open rip cages or skulls. As long as this thing was that close to her skin she would neither move nor say something; breathing was the solely thing she dared to do. Finally the cast popped open like an eggshell, making her frown it this was normal. She couldn't tell. Carefully she pulled out her arm, flexing it, pulling her hand into a fist. It felt fine.  
"Less than four weeks?" she rather asked herself, yet Evan still answered: "Yes, it is remarkable what that serum can to. I saved Alex's eyes and Connor's life."  
"So you really knew that they were alive", Cat tilted her head slightly, trying to wrap that fact around it. "Why didn't you tell me?" But she already knew the answer. "Because your mind was somewhere else, right?"  
Evan gave her a long glance that told so much and yet so few, like telling her to shut up and leave it be, because he seemed to be hurting. When she wanted to open her mouth he already had started the saw and Cat decided to wait until her leg was free as well.  
For a moment she was suspicious if he was taking his time on purpose, but in the end it didn't really matter, because it was coming to an end. So Catherine sat and watched Evan freeing her from this load and being grateful about it.  
"I'm sorry", she eventually said, after he helped her out of those remains as well and turned around to get her bag with clothes Heather had brought along.  
As he turned back he frowned and tilted his head slightly: "About what?"  
"Keeping all of this from you", Catherine answered honestly. "Lying to you", her expression almost turned grim for a moment. "I should at least tell you enough for you to be aware of what I am involved with. Not only you, but Tess as well. I'm so used to keep things to myself and I put you all in danger. Muirfield trying to kill you."  
"No, that was my fault", Evan shook his head. "I agreed to work with them instead of talking to you. Even though I knew you were keeping something from me. I should have given you another chance. I was just… I have my own … secrets."

Catherine pressed her lips together and looked up at him, as he handed her over her back. Though her arm felt a little numb it was working perfectly.  
"I'll give you some privacy", Evan smiled, but his eyes weren't joining his expression.  
"Wait", she begged and places her hand on his wrist as he still was holding the bag. "I am really happy and relieved that you are helping. I just… I don't understand. What made you…"  
"Cat", again this frozen smile on his lips and he shook his head. "I know what has happened to him. J.T. told me everything and Connor and Alex explained a lot to me. We were trying to copy the serum she gave to you and analyzed it. There are things that we have to talk about, but not here."  
That hadn't been the answer she had been looking for and he could read if off her face. Closing his eyes and breathing deeply Evan looked even more worn out to Cat than before.  
"You know I had feelings for you", he said, pulling his eyebrows together like he was having a headache, "and because of that I made unreasonable decisions. I didn't understand your actions and I thought you were in danger, too afraid to come and talk to me. That was the only explanation that seemed reasonable to me and even though I met him, I never thought that you could be drawn to him like that, and risk so much for him, a monster, a killer."  
"And now you do?" Catherine asked cautiously, when he didn't continue but stared right through her.  
"I think I understand you in a way nothing else does", Evan eventually answered, yet there was no smile. "You know you sneaked yourself into my heart. I never thought about having a serious relationship until we became friends. Kara was like a lightning strike. She knew everything about me and still…."  
"Wasn't scared away?" Cat finished his sentence. "Or taken aback?"  
There was no response in words to that, just an agreeing glance.  
"Lightning strike really puts it right", she let go of his wrist. "It's like knowing someone without having ever met them."  
Now it was Evan who pressed his lips together.  
"We have to hurry", he said. "I will dispose of this garbage and then we need to get going", and quickly collected the pieces of the cast together to leave the room.  
"Where to?" Cat asked and made him stop to look back at there. "Right beneath their nose, because they would never expect us to go there."  
The Detective blinked once then twice, just to frown because she couldn't believe and wasn't sure about her chain of thoughts.  
"Alex's cabin?"

Evan hadn't gone with them because of various reasons one of them was named Joe and was their boss and another one Muirfield. They had never stopped keeping an eye on Cat, but also they had never actually taken any steps to get to her either, which was something that definitely was unexplainable. At least until now when she had woken up, when it actually would be more difficult taking her. Tess had insisted on driving, although she looked pretty tired - though not as much as Evan had appeared. So Catherine had decided not to disturb her concentration and pepper her with questions. But she didn't want to sleep either, just to be sure that she actually could intervene if her partner's eyes did fall shut. She didn't like the idea of going back to Alex's love nest for shelter, though it wasn't a bad one. It simply felt odd being there with Connor and her. Yet Muirfield knew of this place and Cat felt like her friends were trying to take her out of the equation.  
"You don't like it", Tess suddenly said without taking his eyes off the road and Cat answered "yes", because whatever she meant she was sure that she was right. "I think I was safe in the hospital, why would they come for me now? It would have been so much easier for them to take me while I'm out. And then I'm so far away from everything."  
"We watched them", Tess explained. "Well, not exactly the whole time. Evan got contacted by them and he's more or less back in. That's a reason why he's so tired. He's leading a double life right now, trying to gain their trust. It was enough to get a lead and piggyback their system by FaceB."  
"Tom", Cat brought in and received a nod. "As in Heather's boyfriend."  
"Oh well", Tess chuckled. "He actually has a good influence on her, even though your father doesn't realize it."  
"Why's that?" she was really curious about the answer.  
"Because Heather is completely invested into bringing back your boyfriend and redeeming your mother", Tess eyes checked on her partner just briefly.  
"Yes, I don't like it", Cat sighed. "I don't like that I wasn't there when she got to know everything that I wasn't there to do something. Anything."  
"You can't change that. We're all in this together now. Heather, Tom, J.T., Sarah, Evan, Alex, Connor, you and me. That you can't change either", Tess gave back matter-of-factually.  
"So what's the plan?" she asked after a moment.  
"First we get you up there", was the response. "And we believe that Muirfield will contact Evan and finally get him close enough so that we will find the place where they keep Vincent and Kara."  
Catherine tensed: "You believe that they are still alive?"  
"We all hope for it."

Standing there again on that porch as Alex opened the door was a deja-vu which definitely was awkward for the both of them. Yet this time Tess was supporting her best friend, while Connor stood in the background watching Alex's back. Cat's last time being here seemed like a lifetime ago and although this place hadn't changed almost everything else had. And this was more than surreal.  
"Come in", Alex said composed, trying to hide her mixed emotions.  
She closed the door slowly behind him, as if she was hoping for Connor or someone else to start a conversation and it was Tess who spoke: "I won't stay overnight. I can't actually. Someone's expecting me", and gave Cat a conspiratorial glance.  
"It's okay", her partner answered. "It seems like you trust those two for a month now. I'm sure I can depend on that, right?"  
"You want a coffee first? Got some fresh one", Connor asked her with a warm smile.  
Catherine expected her best friend to ask something like how they were drinking coffee in the middle of the night but apparently she already had received answer to that.  
"Caffeine doesn't stay long in our system. It doesn't have a strong effect on us", Alex explained and obviously felt as odd as this sounded to Cat hearing it from Vincent's ex.  
Tess had already agreed and followed Connor into the kitchen.  
"How's he? I was told that he was severely wounded?" Cat asked turning her head back to Alex slowly, trying to get a good look at her facial expression.  
"Yes, basically because he used his own body as shield, since he wasn't fast enough to get us out after throwing your mother up to Vincent. A normal human would have died. He didn't even whimper. Not even when he carried your mother and me away from the warehouse", she explained and her eyes slowly lost focus as she remembered what had happened those weeks ago.  
Looking up into her now green eyes Catherine realized how short that woman's hair now was. It fell in fuzzy strains to her face and barely reached her shoulders now.  
"They burned my eyes", again Alex seemed to feel the need to explain.  
"M… my Mom?" Cat asked cautiously and the former nurse inhaled deeply, before she answered: "We didn't want to bury her here, it felt… wrong. So we burned her. I guess she would have wanted that anyway so that Muirfield wouldn't get her body."  
She walked to the fireplace where an old pottery with a nicely worked cover was standing. There was no need to say anything and Cat fought to swallow down the tears that felt like acid in her eyes.  
"Your mother told us a few things", Alex dared to whisper after a moment. "She had written down many things but I don't know where she kept her notes. You would now, she said", Cat looked at her with a frown and a tear escaped the corner of her right eye. "It's where all ended and all began."  
Vanessa's daughter instantly knew: the diner.

Reading Alex's expression Cat could tell that her own face had been an open book. Quickly she brought up one hand to wipe off the tear on her cheek and blinked to stop more from falling. This wasn't the time for mourning.  
"There are some things that you need to know, Cat", Alex said. "But I think it's for the better that you get some rest. You've been out for some time. I know you want to say that you've slept long enough. But you haven't. Trust me. I'm a nurse."  
She managed to smile at Vincent's ex and she responded to it likewise. Sometimes glances, the eyes, the way the mouth moves, the breathing, the posture express much better than words, allow a way deeper understanding. There are moments of realization concerning this, when one just knows. Right now was such a moment.  
"Okay", Cat nodded at that moment passed.  
"Let me show you your room", Alex got the bag Tess had dropped earlier when she followed Connor into the kitchen; they were talking lowly and there was no way for Cat to eavesdrop on that conversation.  
It was strange to be the one not in charge, to be unknowing, to ponder and wonder about what happened and what might happen. It was more than just a pain in the ass, yet she learned how all of their friends had felt. It was almost impossible to stop her mind from working, to think of reasons, possibilities, and of course she wouldn't be able to tell if she was right or wrong about her theories. She should have known, Cat scolded herself silently as she stepped into the tiny room, which once might have been Alex's room when she had come up here with her parents.  
"Try to sleep", she said to her guest. "I'm sure the moment you lay down you'll actually see that you are tired."  
Alex stayed for a moment and leaned at the door frame watching Vincent's girlfriend unpack some things. Cat didn't lose a thought about the reason, so she didn't ask or wonder. In fact Alex just made sure that her patient did what she had told her while she tried not to listen to the private conversation in the kitchen.

"Thanks for the coffee that brings me literally back from the dead", Tess smiled and almost winked at Connor.  
She had been up here quite some time, ever since the first time she had visited them here, after J.T. had asked her to check on the three of them. Tess had had the brief chance to get to know Cat's mother and a part of her would always have a bad conscience about her being there when her friend couldn't.  
"I'll tell them that you are ready to go when Cat is", Tess placed the mug on the counter. "Put up the satellite dish at 11:03 am."  
"Aye", Connor nodded and brought her to the front door.

The next morning arrived quickly and Catherine realized that Alex had been right about her need of sleep. She couldn't even remember closing her eyes when she had crawled beneath the blanked and yet she was wide awake not even knowing what had woken her up. The sunlight from outside was trying to force its way in but the blends from the windows were resilient and nothing more than a golden frame hinted the brightness outside.  
A second later Cat was on her feet and she had no need to balance or look for support. It felt like she never actually had had a broken bone, which was more than odd and rather eerie. Simply because she remembered what Alex had said: that this serum worked better on Beasts than on humans. Vincent's ex had promised answered and now Cat wouldn't wait any longer. She didn't care that she still was in her pj's or on bare feet - she didn't feel the cold from the ground anyway - she needed to know now. So opening the door that was flooded with light and blinded her for a second, she instantly caught why she had woken up: she smelled coffee.  
"Good morning", Alex's voice sounded from the kitchen. "Connor is just setting up our satellite connection. You want something to eat?"  
"Oh yes, I'm starving"; Cat answered and walked down the short corridor towards the living room and then decided otherwise. "I'll go to the bathroom first," she turned around.  
"It's right opposite…" Alex answered but she had already opened the right door: the one opposite to her room. "Exactly. Do you want a sandwich as well?"  
"Yes!" Cat answered. "I'll take jam too. The strawberry one."  
As she closed the door behind her she froze for a second and something told her that Alex did the same. Instantly she got out of the bathroom and rushed into the kitchen to stare at Alex who still had the knife with peach jam on her hand. On the counter two glasses had been opened: one with reddish and one with yellowish content.  
"You didn't", Cat exhaled and she could feel how the blood started rushing in her veins, just like she was able to hear Alex's heart rate speed up. "You said that the cure only works on older generations, not on the new ones. You didn't… you should have…"  
"You need to breathe and calm down", Alex said slowly, putting down the knife. "Breathe, Catherine and think of something nice."  
"I thought it was because I was pregnant and now I've got altered genes too? How am I supposed to calm down?" Cat's breath turned shallow and she knew that Alex was right, she needed to focus and inhaled deeply so that she wouldn't start to hyperventilate.  
"You are …. pregnant?" Alex blinked in confused surprise.  
"Well that's what Heather and Evan told me, the hospital had positive results about that", Cat exhaled and suddenly faltered.

It had seemed as if the room had gotten brighter, but in fact that wasn't really possible because the bulbs at the ceiling hadn't changed their intensity for the last four weeks, so why would they now? They had let the lights on, throughout the whole night and Vincent had used Kara's pillow to cover his face to have at least some sort of dimness. Not that it had made any difference. He had barely slept, because every time he had drifted away he had fallen into nightmares in which everyone had died around him, with him being unable to save anyone.  
Kara had always been there to talk to him, and even though he also had been tormented by nightmares then, they had been fewer. He had managed to sleep at least for some hours. Not tonight. Vincent was worried about his friend and what she would be forced to do.  
When the door opened again someone entered that he had not expected to see back that soon, but it was also a piercing sting to watch Kara walk a step behind the man who had fathered her like a watchdog. Vincent didn't get up and his eyes followed her, not him.  
"I know that you are expecting me to cut you open and stick needles into you", Doc spoke to him calmly, arrogance hiding in the gaps between his words that slowly dropped from his mouth. "And I know that you will never be too tired to fight" - Kara didn't look back at Vincent, her features hardened, he could see her tremble slightly from tension - "but see, I'm not a good jailer and I don't like fighting. I would rather have you cooperate with me."  
It weren't the words that made him look up at Doc, it was the sound of paper crackling and that man stepping - or rather limping - forward to the bars. Jumping up, reaching through them and snapping his neck would have been so easy if it wasn't for Kara who surely had been ordered to protect him with her life. So Vincent stayed where he was and automatically looking at the print Doc was unfolding so that he could see it: a shot from a surveillance camera showing a corridor and two figures: on in a wheelchair and another pushing it. He was quick-frozen: it was Catherine: one arm and leg in a cast, but she was alive.  
"Oh and I have another paper for you", Doc said and his smug expression turned into a grin, as he reached through the bars and held out that picture and another print.  
Again, such a temptation to kill this guy, but Vincent wasn't a killer, although for Doc Donovan he might make an exception if it meant that he would free Kara from him. Yet he stood up slowly and took what was offered to him, putting the second paper onto the picture to read that it was a blood test result of Catherine's.  
"Seems like congratulations are in order", Doc spoke as Vincent's expression said everything, and for the first time she had returned Kara looked at him in devastated sympathy.

There passed more time than just a moment before Catherine started to talk again, having calmed herself down. Although having been upset she hadn't felt pain or an itch or anything that would have hinted her to shift into something else. Alex however had gotten dark shadows beneath her eyes and for a second Cat was sure that they had been glowing.  
"I thought you knew", she breathed out. "Is this an issue? Or can't I be?"  
A part of her begged that she wouldn't be pregnant, even though she felt really bad about it. There was no guarantee that Vincent still was alive and this kid would be the only connection to him she would have left. Still she couldn't see herself as a mother.  
"Is this serum working that good because I am one of you now or because of … my pregnancy?" she continued asking, and wasn't even able to refer to it as it or the baby or anything like that.  
"You are not one of us", Alex managed to bring out, but she was still stunned by the news and Cat could tell, almost with certainty what she was thinking now: it should have been her being pregnant with Vincent's child.  
And then her words hit her.  
"So it's because of…?" again she failed to speak it out; how could she be a mother when she already had issues with saying the actual word.  
"No", Alex still seemed paralyzed and because of that Cat had to wait for an explanation, since she now was completely confused.  
Suddenly she turned around and poured them some coffee, handing one mug over to her guest and made her a slice of bread with strawberry jam. It was obvious that she needed a moment of normality before she was able to continue. And right in that moment when she opened her mouth, Connor came in: "Set it up, still got about two hours until the dial-up."  
As he looked at both women he instantly knew that he had had a bad timing. Out of courtesy he hadn't eavesdropped, but as they had stopped talking he thought that it would have been right to go back in. Obviously that had been the wrong decision.  
"Uh… I'll check the power", he said and turned around on his heels, closing the door behind him.  
"He does know", Alex said as the door fell in its lock. "Because he was there when your mother told us. We haven't told anyone else yet, since it should be your choice."  
Cat breathed in deeply to lessen the tension.  
"What?" she asked as calm as humanly possible in that situation.  
"Vincent's unit wasn't the first generation", Alex instantly answered and the short break between her two sentences was beyond torment. "You were."  
Another pause. A silence that intense that one could hear the old wood of this cabin crack as the sun warmed it up and made it expand. Catherine Chandler blinked, trying to process, to understand.  
"When you were younger you had a genetic defect and your mother and her friend Donovan developed a treatment. A virus transporting foreign DNA into your system to heal you. This is how your mother got into Donovan's project."

Vincent kept staring onto the paper as if he was waiting for the letters to change into a different constellation, to form another word, but they didn't. Not knowing for how long his eyes had been glued to this document he eventually realized that Doc still was there, monitoring him. Still he felt numb as he looked up.  
"Don't worry", the man said and his expression appeared to be sincere for the very first time. "No one needs to know about it. It can be our little secret. Muirfield isn't aware how deep your relationship went. So for now they believe the official information that Evan Marks is the father to be."  
Though Donovan was unaware and oblivious about it Vincent could see his daughter tense even more.  
"Just cooperate", Doc continued smoothly. "Just work with me and the two of them will be safe."  
Vincent's hand sunk down, his eyes fixed at the man in front of him and he nodded, just once, before he turned away and slumped back down onto his mattress.  
"Very well", Donovan answered. "We'll start our tests today. Kara", he turned around and she straightened up automatically. "Make sure that he feels comfortable and gets some sleep, apparently he's only able to do that when you're around. Don't leave this room. Don't allow anyone but me to get close to him until I return."  
Kara nodded, briefly and her father left. She followed his movement with a loathing gaze, but stayed put where she was until the door had fallen in its lock behind him.  
"Vincent", she instantly turned around, placing her hands around the bars. "Listen to me", yet he didn't look up. "Muirfield will never harm her, even if they knew about it. Do you hear me? Why didn't they ever go after her after staging her mother's death? Why did they leave her alone? Even when she started investigating on her own?"  
Still no reaction.  
"Hey", Kara hit the bars and made them sound. "I'm following orders here. I'm trying to make you feel comfortable!"  
Vincent frowningly moved his eyes up from the paper to finally look at hers.  
"They will never touch her", Kara repeated, "because they can't."  
"Why?" Vincent breathed out.  
"Because they would have to kill her father first", she answered.  
If he could have frowned more intensely, Vincent would have.  
"He manages parts of their shadow companies, he can cut off their finances, and he can reveal them. They are his income", Kara continued. "Why else would he be able to store his wife's documents without them burning his house down? They can't harm him. Now even less than back then when he started as junior partner in the law company. Now he owns it. Did you really never wonder about all this? How Cat never managed to actually find something out about Muirfield before she met you? Because her father sabotaged her? How she was kept save?"

Catherine stared at Alex as if she just had revealed to her that she was an alien from another planet and was setting up a meeting with Elvis.  
"Vanessa told me that you only remember that you had been very sick as a child. Heather was too young to have any memory of it", Alex tried to find a way to make Cat believe her and poured out every information she could recall. "That was when Muirfield offered your parents help, to fund your mother's research. And that time she thought that Muirfield just wanted to improve human life and she encouraged your father to take their offer working solely for them."  
"Wait…. what?" Cat hook her had. "What?!"  
"You didn't know", Alex sounded apologetically. "Your parents where in this together. They both work for Muirfield. Your father still does."  
"Okay, enough!" Catherine Chandler threw up her hands. "I've had it. Give me the key to your car."  
Vincent's ex stayed quiet and didn't move.  
"Gimme your damn keys, Alex", Cat repeated.  
"We don't have time for this. We need to find Vincent and Kara and get them out before Muirfield moves them out of our reach and away from the FBI agents who hunt them", was the calmly spoken answer.  
"My parents met at a gala from university", Cat disagreed. "My Dad went with a former girlfriend of his so that she wouldn't have to expose herself as a single."  
"You know that this woman was Kara's mother?" Alex didn't really ask. "Who worked at Muirfield with your Dad?"  
"Are you trying to tell me that my parents met, fell in love with each other and married because of Muirfield?" Cat had issues to keep her voice low, while anger was chewing on her from the inside. "Are you telling me that I am alive because of Muirfield?"  
"You met Vincent because of Muirfield", Alex continued. "Your mother was sure that Vincent trusted you from the very beginning because he instinctively felt that you were different. Just like him", Alex continued. "The process, the virus, the serum, that changed him based on the one Doc and your mother created to safe you. Muirfield gave her all the resources she needed in exchange for all the industrial property of her work."  
"So basically all of this happened because of me", Cat stared into nothingness. "Vincent is what he is, because of me. I think I have to throw up."  
She turned around and ran back to where she had come from.  
"You shouldn't have told her all that", Connor said after opening the front door. "At least not at once. It's not her fault that she was sick and her mother had the ability and the chance to save her."  
"If I had been in Vanessa's place, I would have done the same", Alex looked at him almost blankly. "That's not the point."  
"Why then?" Connor asked and stepped closer than she would have ever allowed him four weeks ago.

Vincent got up and Kara's fists tightened around the bars, like she wanted to stop herself from moving away. Her eyes were glued to his, glaring at him.  
"And now I need you to tell me how I am able to make you comfortable and get some sleep", she told him through her teeth as if saying that was taking a lot of effort. "You heard my father."  
Apparently what she just said confused him, so she continued: "I'd say you'd feel more comfortable with that door open, right?"  
With that Vincent's eyes widened and he joined: "Yes, I would feel a lot more comfortable."  
Kara let go of the bars and walked to the button to unlock and open the gate.  
"And I definitely would get some sleep elsewhere", he added with a smile.  
"I guess I will have to allow you to leave", Kara shrugged her shoulders. "Too bad that I won't be able to stop you or warn anyone, since I am not allowed to leave this room."  
"That's true", Vincent pressed his lips together in playful repentance. "But then again. It would make me more comfortable if you would follow me out of this room, after all you aren't allowed to let anyone close to me, am I right? And I'd say two orders outweigh one."  
"Let's find that one out, shall we?" Kara answered frowningly.  
"I wouldn't get any sleep if you were caught in here", Vincent gave back and walked towards the door without looking around; he could hear her steps following him.  
He brought his hand to the doorknob, hesitating for a brief moment, because Kara's steps sped up. They both knew within a heartbeat that there was someone standing in front of the door, and both recalled part of Donovan's orders. Vincent pulled the door open and the guard turned around quickly bringing his hand to his gun, but he never got further with his intentions. As Kara was choking him, pulling him inside his hands had gotten up to hers, trying to free himself only to make her grip more firm. The moment he thought of using his gun, Vincent already had taken it away from him and smacked it over his head.  
"Maybe I should've killed him", Kara mused.  
"I wouldn't have comfortable with that", Vincent continued their new joke and stepped out of the room, bringing up the gun.  
Proceeding he didn't turn around to check for Kara since he thought that any hesitation might make it more difficult for her to follow him. For some steps he couldn't hear her move and he knew if she wasn't able to follow him she would have wanted him to leave without her.  
Then suddenly there was movement in the corridors, but they couldn't tell if they had triggered an alarm or not. It didn't matter because just two seconds later Kara was at Vincent's side, with her eyes glowing. She wasn't allowed to let anyone get close to him. Right now this was an upside. But for how long?

Alex was about to answer Connor's question, but she got distracted. It wasn't because of him standing that close. She had nursed him for weeks so her reluctance concerning that had vanished. It wasn't the way he looked at her either because she was used to that glance as well. Just like her also Connor's attention was drawn by something else and they both started staring to the same direction: the entrance door even though it wasn't opened. Their sharp hearing had caught something, a sound approaching, an engine, and four wheels. Someone was coming. And that wasn't part of the plan.  
"Cat?" Alex asked loudly. "We are getting company."  
"Wait", Connor automatically placed his hand on her lower arm, being oblivious about it; she however not so much. "I know that car. It's J.T.'s"  
He had spoken in such a level that Catherine was able to hear it, who was just about to wash her face and now continued, sitting down on the closed toilet to take a break. So Vincent's best friend was coming up here although they had planned to make a satellite call or something? This didn't seem to be a good thing was it?  
Cat stayed in the bathroom until the front door was opened. She didn't really care about what Connor and Alex were talking about, since she was sure that they would break the news on her anyhow, like she was someone unbreakable. Right then as she stepped into the living room to see J.T. and Tess standing there she asked herself if she already had broken and hadn't even noticed it. Simply because she felt completely numb and like she was working on a case as she greeted her partner and their friend with such rational words like: "So what do we got?"  
"Wow, just look at you, standing there like nothing ever happened", was J.T's amazed answer and the expression on Tess' face made it obvious that she shared his opinion.  
"If it just were like that", Cat gave back. "So why the face-to-face meeting, aren't you risking to get us exposed coming up here? What happened?"  
The four other persons in this room were either stunned or confused.  
After a moment J.T. was the first to move seemingly breaking the others out of a spell, and them following his action. He pulled out a tablet from the bag he had brought with him and switched on the display that instantly showed some sort of map with a dot blinking.  
"I thought there was no reception out here. That's why that satellite gear", Cat commented before he had been able to speak.  
"It's offline since we got out of reach", J.T. explained. "But more importantly is what or rather who is the spot that hadn't moved a lot since we drove up here."  
All of them were looking at and waiting for him to continue. For a split second he seemed to be disappointed that no one wanted to give it a try and guess.  
"That's Evan", he explained in mixture of excitement and worry. "And he's with Muirfield right now. They rang him out of bed and called him in. He used his burner to inform me. We planted a tracker in on of his belts", that last sentence was solely addressed to Catherine, which annoyed her slightly

Both harked and moved silently but not slowly. There were men approaching and apparently just coming through that corridor Kara and Vincent had to take to get out of this place. Since Doc had taken her with him the night before as his personal guard dog she had taken the chance to memorize the paths they had taken. And even though she hadn't seen the outside the architecture of this place made it pretty clear where they could get out. Now getting company wasn't a downside, because that meant they had the possibility getting the key card they needed to exit the building and certain gates without triggering a loud alarm.  
As the persons got closer Kara and Vincent melted into the shadows of the dim corridor, silently hoping that no one would switch on the light. Both on each of one side they aimed at the three silhouettes with both of them suddenly tensing, frowning at each other. Their guns didn't have silencers, so shooting would expose them and one of the three might escape if it wasn't for the fact that the third was Evan. Vincent's jaw clenched and he narrowed his eyes. Did he betray them? Again? As he met Kara's glance however she obviously didn't seem to share his concern.  
Evan didn't realized what had happened until it already was over. One second he had to listen to the talk, lies and threats of that agent who was showing him around, so that he would met with some sort of supervisor because of them having seen him on the surveillance cameras getting Cat out of the hospital and the next thing he was aware of was the sound of two neck getting snapped. And those men apparently hadn't wanted to switch the lights on because he shouldn't see too much of the building. However the next thing was him being smacked into the wall with a set of claws on his breast.  
"Kara?" he recognized that pair of honey-golden eyes in front of him.  
"Seems like you were too close to me", Vincent commented on that, confusing Catherine's friend even more.  
"An order", Kara's eyes slowly turned back into normal as she spoke through her likewise changing teeth. "From the one who made me."  
Evan blinked down at her and she did the same the other way around.  
"You have to stay away from me", Vincent shrugged.  
"Well, I do not have a problem with that", Evan gave back, almost smirking and Kara could tell the reason why, cocking one brow and letting go of him.  
She bend down, moving quickly getting up again with handing Evan a gun and a key card, while warning: "We gotta move quickly. I don't have any clue about hidden cameras here or when my father will return. If he does he will turn me against you."  
Although she noticed that he didn't act surprised Kara didn't lose another word about it and grabbed his wrist to move him in front of her and push him onwards with her shielding Vincent and following her father's order.  
"Behind that door there's at least an agent", Evan said. "I would say I go first to distract them."

Since no one spoke against it that was the plan now and as Evan used the key card that was his now the agent sitting there, reading a paper didn't turn around at first. Yet the camera facing down to the door the three fugitives stepped through could have been another reason. Kara didn't remember, though she had focused on memorizing the way which had been more important - her father had been distraction enough to make that quite difficult. The door closed and the back of a gun was smacked over the man's head, but that picture of Vincent, Evan and Kara looking up to the lens of the camera zooming in on them was seen.  
After a moment of deafening silence the alarm burst off, flooding all that had been dark or bright in a bloody red.  
"They'll kill the cards! Quick!" Kara shouted out and leaped forward for the door at the opposite wall of this cubic room. Without her Evan and Vincent probably would have needed some time to tell which one of those three other doors would be the one to take. Now they followed her blindly into the long dark red corridor from which several doors conducted. None of them would lead out but into offices and labs. They were faster than Evan and he knew that they had do slow down because of him. They would get caught because of him. But as if Kara had read his mind, she grabbed behind her and took his wrist, pulling him along with her. Vincent would have grinned if this had been the right situation and his body wasn't already reacting to the adrenaline kicking in again.  
While running Evan could watch how Kara's hand around his wrist slowly warped as well, so he didn't turn around or try to perceive anything else but the way in front of them. What an irony that he who wanted to hunt those he had regarded as monsters ended up with trying to escape with them.  
"You need to calm down", Evan huffed as the next door stopped their run. "You guys can't shoot with being…. out of it."  
"When we get to the exit", Kara breathed in deeply, her voice slightly distorted. "You have to leave me behind. I can't come with you, I will always try to follow my father's orders. There'll be no rest for me."  
"No", Evan pulled at his wrist, making her face him. "We'll find a way. There's a cure."  
She smiled at him briefly and got back to the door, moving the card across the scanner. It stayed closed.  
"Okay step back", Kara let go of Evan just to move him directly behind her as Vincent scooted into the other direction, and she took aim and shot three times. Sparks were jumping off the scanner and she didn't wait long but kicked against the metal in front of her, making the door fly open. Again three shots and her gun fell to the ground. They should have seen it coming, but the two men standing behind Kara Donovan didn't, but somehow it seemed that she had known about those men on the other side of the door. Stumbling back she was caught by Evan while Vincent emptied his magazine into the room. He had taken the advice. Though he hadn't used a weapon in a year he didn't miss one target.  
"I'll take her", he said with a slightly lower voice than usual and pulled Kara out of Evan's arms, who's mind instantly put itself into autopilot and nodded, ignoring the blood in his hands.

Bringing out her annoyance Cat grabbed the tablet and tore it out of J.T.'s hands and gave the map a look.  
"So where's that?" she wanted to know and received nothing but stunned glances - from Alex and Connor for just continuing like she just had learned nothing about her being her mother's first experiment - and from Tess and J.T. because she seemed to be angry.  
"Further down at the harbor, Tom's just about to try to get a way into their system", Vincent's best friend eventually answered.  
"Okay, what are we waiting for?" Cat grabbed her jacket that she had left on the couch the night before and moved towards the door, turning around as she noticed that no one attempted to follow her. "If Vincent's there I'm going to get him and then we can hang around like a bunch of lazy dogs."  
Tess lifted her brows and shrugged her shoulders: "Okay, got a spare gun for you in the car, let's get going."  
"Fine with me"; Connor copied her expression and the three of them were the first to be outside, while J.T. and Alex gave each other worried looks, though he realized that there was something off: "What did you tell her?"  
She didn't answer him but followed the others.  
"Everything?" he figured and was close to being horrified.  
Tess knew her partner well enough that if she acted like this, like throwing herself into work, into protecting someone, into saving someone, she was in desperate need to get her mind distracting from something she couldn't take in right now. The worst thing one could do know was asking if she was okay.  
"Cat are you…?" J.T. started as he tried to catch up.  
"Yes she's definitely getting the shotgun. You can cuddle with the rest on the backseat", Tess cut him off and blindsided him, yet he got that now apparently was not the time, so he didn't make another attempt.  
"How do we know that they are there?" Alex asked and Cat pretended to not have heard the question, following Tess who had taken the lead.  
"Because for a harbor warehouse with few workers around that hall of theirs needs definitely too much energy, that is", J.T. answered.  
"But is Vincent there? Can we be sure?" she wasn't satisfied yet.  
"Muirfield is there", Connor turned around and Alex almost ran into him, if he hadn't caught her first. "Why setting up another base and divide their power?"  
"Why keeping him there so close…?" she still continued and Cat flung around: "Are we in this together? Do you want to save him? Or do you want to waste time with asking questions?"  
She had difficulties to keep it together, but for now all her emotions found a vent in just one: anger.  
"If you are afraid to go there, I'm fine with it. Even though you possibly are more fit now than me to actually save them, Vincent and Kara and Evan", Cat continued. "But if you're in, then be in. We will see it when we get there. But believe me when I say that I know they are alive, because they have to be, okay?"


	20. Breathless

Chapter 20 Breathless [R]

Now he was the one with the gun now, holding it in front of him, hoping that he would get it right. Evan had studies medicine because he had wanted to save lives not take them, but because of just that - life turning it around on him - he had ended up here, again at the verge of taking lives and not saving them. It was like he felt Kara's life fading away.  
They stepped across the bodies of the three men and the moment Evan looked up again the door in front of him flew open. It was nothing more than a reflex, but on the first twitch of his index finger, not the second one. And most definitely the third. He did recall the way now and he didn't waste a thought about what he just had done and moved forward. They had to get out of here and she needed medical help. She needed the serum.  
"There will be more soon", Kara exhaled shallowly and only Vincent was able to hear her, as he carried her, following Evan.  
"I would feel very uncomfortable if you die", was his answer. "And I most definitely wouldn't be able to get some sleep."  
She chuckled and coughed instantly. Vincent could feel her blood on his skin and fought hard to keep it together. He needed to focus and not lose control.  
"You have to go on", he said lowly. "We're in this together, remember?"  
"You have to get Evan out of here. You have to get out of here. Leave me here. You can't carry me, they'll catch you", Kara was pushing out every single word, being breathless.  
Evan had taken the key card of one of the fresh corpses. He had killed those men. The thought alone made him dizzy until he realized that he was holding his breath. It was Kara's words that pulled him out of it.  
"We're almost there", he huffed and walked onwards. "We won't leave you here!"  
"What he said", Vincent commented even though he could hear a group of heavy armed persons were closing in on them and Kara heard them as well; yet she didn't say anything.  
The new card unlocked the next door and it almost felt like being stuck in a dark horror video game for real. And one of those which were insanely hard to win as well. So as the next door opened and a wave of fresh are washed through the red corridor, they couldn't believe that they had made it and in fact they didn't. They were still on the property, still to close, still there were armed soldiers on their heels.  
"Put me down, now", Kara brought out, exhaling through her teeth.  
She spoke too low for Evan to hear, who was going ahead to make sure the way was clear for them.  
"You know that Evan already is slower than you, I'm dead weight and wounded. He cannot save me", she added breathlessly. "No hospital for me."  
And as if he felt Kara's words Evan turned around, watching in slow motion how Vincent put her down onto her feet.

Right there was a second that felt like someone had hit pause just for Cat to realize something. She could have been her. She could have been Alex. If her mother hadn't died, if her life just had continued like that, like this world her parents had painted on the surface of their own lives her sister and her both would have ended up living in a fake world, believing that it was true, that everything was bright and nice, until reality would have hit them, like it had hit Alex.  
Right there in this moment Cat in fact was almost grateful for going through that trauma as a teenager, because she wouldn't be as strong and tough as she was now, even though she admittedly had felt jealous of Alex white picket fence life. She wasn't anymore.  
"Sometimes you just have to ignore the possibilities that seem to be more realistic than the ones you need be possible", she said with a voice almost back to being fully composed.  
Still she wasn't able to give Alex a gentle reassuring squeeze of her forearm, wrist or hand, because she needed every fragment of strength for herself.  
They all got into the car like Tess had ordered, and J.T. sat in the middle of the backseat having Alex and Connor on each of his sides; the three of them monitoring the tablet waiting for it to reconnect to the net.  
"Dammit!" J.T. suddenly burst out and Tess accidentally flinched that hard that she made the car shake.  
"He moved!" Vincent's best friend instantly explained and Cat turned around. "He's out of the building again."  
Her only comment to that was a frown.  
"He was meant to call us if he got out again, so why isn't he?" Tess looked briefly into the review mirror. "Should we call Joe?"  
Cat slowly faced her partner: "What if Vincent and Kara are still in there? Wouldn't we risk them being exposed? If Joe even suspects a connection between him and his brother's death."  
"There are Kara and Vincent", J.T. cut her off. "You could convince him that there was at least a third one too."  
"Wouldn't that be evidence enough to get your boss team up with you against Muirfield? If he knows that they are the origin of what lead to his brother's death he might..." Alex stopped all by herself, but no one punished her with harsh words, simply because she was right.  
They had gotten Bishop to send in cops to the warehouse with less than that. Why hadn't they thought of that?

A car filled with five grown up persons always is small but now it was even smaller like the thoughts and worried tried to fill up the empty space ousting the only thing that was removable in that moment: the air to breathe. There were too many possible scenarios to think of. And there was no way of knowing which one of them could be the right one.  
"This is so wrong for so many reasons", Tess eventually said.  
"Don't say we're out of gas", J.T. gave back and Cat instantly knew that the two of them had hung out together a lot in the last almost-month.  
With Vincent vanished and her in a coma they had lost their best friends. She needed to say something, like how sorry she was, or everything would go back to normal, but all of the sudden she felt extremely dizzy, like the air had gotten thin.  
"Cat? Cat are you okay?" she heard Tess' worried voice from far away.  
"I guess I should've eaten something", her own voice sounded from the inside, but she knew better.  
All of what had happened eventually took its toll on her and it could not be a worse timing. Or was it something else?  
"You've not stopping, Tess, hit it, we have to get there, as fast as possible", Cat hoped to sound exactly as tough and strong as she tried to be. "And Alex, is there a possibility that the serum corrupted my test results? I mean... you said that it wouldn't normally work on humans, so I was thinking... could there be any other side effects?"  
She literally felt how her best friend held her breath and something told her that J.T. didn't act any different.  
"It's what your mother said", Alex responded hesitantly. "I... I don't have the expertise and... I guess you need to take a look at the journals she kept for you.  
"What is she talking about?" Vincent's best friend needed to know.  
That complete silence would be the answer to his question wasn't something either J.T. or Tess had expected, but Cat was gland that Alex didn't feel the need to speak, leaving it up to her. But looking into the side mirror she was confronted with the fact how pale she was right now. Inhaling deeply Catherine Chandler closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the seat.  
"My mother changed my DNA to save my life when I was just a child", she spoke lowly, her eyes not really watching the trees flashing by. "I'm her first chimera."  
Since the only noise inside the car was its own engine and its passengers breathing all of them could hear her faint words. No one responded to her words, yet J.T. shifted on the backseat as if he withheld something important related to what she has said and made her feel even more uncomfortable than she already did. And there it was, that thought that made her stomach turn, as if she had read his thoughts: Just because Vincent and her both were genetically engineered it didn't meant that they were changed in the same way. Their alteration theoretically could be opposing.

Evan hasted back, knowing that he shouldn't but protecting Vincent who was putting himself in danger for stopping and placing Kara down was an excellent excuse for that.  
"What are you doing?" he shouted whisperingly.  
"She's bleeding out, every movement will worsen it", and Vincent answered correctly; there was in fact no arguing since they both were doctors.  
"Not here", Evan gave back, "let's bring her…"  
"No", Kara gasped out breathlessly. "There's no time. Go. Now."  
Neither Vincent nor Evan was able to do something and denying that wouldn't change the situation.  
"Your plan won't work, I'm not leaving you here", Evan still retorted.  
"Evan…" was the only thing Vincent was able to say, because he understood.  
If it had been Catherine lying here, he would act exactly the same.  
"There's nothing", Kara breathed shallowly, exhaling every word. "You can do. Muirfield will find me and put me back together, okay?"  
"No", Evan shook his head and looked at Vincent. "We need to find cover. Cat's Mom developed a serum that increased the regeneration rate of your altered DNA. It can save her."  
"There's no time to get there", he responded.  
"J. tracking my signal, we just have to wait for them", Evan insisted.  
"She's alive?" Kara pushed out, but she didn't get an immediate answer because Vincent and him lifted her up again, making her ache, and moved her behind something that seemed to be a generator or something.  
It was bright outside and surely there were cameras all around. Muirfield would already know where they were hiding and there weren't many people working in the close surroundings. If J.T. wouldn't show up soon they would have to leave Kara behind – something that both men weren't willing to do – but if Muirfield threatened to overrun them she would insist. For now there were kneeling close to her, taking cover behind the huge metal cube and Vincent handed over his gun.  
"I'll use my own", he answered to the questioning glance he got in return and Evan understood instantly, not knowing what he should return to that.  
Suddenly he felt Kara's cold hand on his wrist and he remembered her question.  
"No, I'm sorry, she didn't make it", Evan answered and swallowed dryly. "She was too badly wounded and refused to try using the serum on her, since Connor and Cat needed them too."  
As Vincent heard him say Catherine's name he tensed and turned around to look at him.  
"She's alive and more or less kicking", Evan responded to the unspoken question that was written all over his face. "She wouldn't have survived if it wasn't for her mother's serum."  
Vincent breathed in deeply and tried to control the tremor that washed through his body.  
"Told ya", Kara commented and shivered.  
Her eyes widened as she obviously wanted to say more, as if she had realized something, but her lungs were out of breath. Quickly Evan pulled of his jacked and covered her with it.  
"How?" she breathed out. "That serum. It works. On her?"  
"Save your breath", was the only answer she got.

Cat had no idea for how long she had been staring into the side mirror, or if the others had said something while she was lost in her own mind. Now she wasn't important. There would be enough time – hopefully – for her to solve that problem. First she needed to get to Vincent, Evan and Kara, and then she needed to confront her father with what she had learned. Maybe she would need the journals of her mother.  
"How do we know that Evan hasn't called?" she wanted to know all of the sudden.  
"Because Tom hasn't received a call", J.T. answered instantly.  
"Then call Bishop", Cat looked at Tess.  
"Do you think he'll jump in again that quickly?" Alex asked and it was Catherine's partner who responded: "He did the last time and found enough evidence to believe us again. Even more if I tell him what this is about. Because I need to, right?" Tess looked at Cat.  
"You need to tell him that whoever is with Evan, that he's not an enemy, but a witness."  
"I can't believe that this is happening", was J.T.'s comment to that. "Why did we plan this so badly again?"  
"Because good plans never come to fruition", Connor looked at him.  
"Figures."  
It was like history repeating, with the difference that Cat and Tess were together now, heading to an unknown place, with having Bishop on a speaker. They tried to explain as much as possible, knowing that again time might be running out – if they only had known how fast.  
"What about those FBI agents harassing me ever since you checked out on your own last night?" Bishop asked and in fact there would be a lot of explaining to do.  
"They know everything about Muirfield", Cat answered after a second of consideration.  
Tess knew that Joe wanted to know what exactly this had to do with his brother's death, but right now he was reasonable enough to actually believe them and know that he had to act. Apart from that he had the advantage that the last time he had trusted them he really had found something, though not what they all had looked for.  
"This is the last time you leave me out", he just answered and hung up.  
"Cat, you really don't look well", Alex spoke immediately after that, as if she had waited for the chance to finally say it.  
"I know", she exhaled, not turning around.  
Right now the least thing she needed was anyone worrying about her, when she was worried sick for Vincent, Evan and Kara. She kept telling herself that they were alive, because she couldn't lose anyone anymore. She couldn't bare anything bad anymore.  
"Do you need another injection?" Alex wanted to know and Cat closed her eyes, smiling slightly: "Someone else might need it more than me."  
"Tom just wrote that they are heading out", J.T. murmured from behind.  
"Good", Cat kept her eyes closed.

Miles from there Kara was fighting to keep her eyes open, because she knew that she couldn't allow herself to sleep, or she might not wake up. Yet her lids were so insanely heavy and she felt cold, so cold that Evan's hand holding hers seemed to be the only thing warming her up.  
"What are they waiting for?" he wanted to know.  
"I don't know", Vincent answered. "I could just guess."  
With that the door they had taken to get outside was opened. Four black dressed soldiers with automatic machine guns slowly stepped out, ready to shoot, but they didn't move any further. And then it was explained why.  
"I know my daughter is injured", Doc surfaced supporting himself on his cane, making Evan freeze in an instant; because he couldn't believe that this man was still alive. "Kara, answer me."  
She was trying to pull in as much air as possible, but there was no way for her to follow that order without making it worse. Evan couldn't believe what happened right now, witnessing what this man was doing to his daughter.  
"She can't", he shouted from his cover receiving an angry ochre-eyes glance from Vincent, who was already warping into his scarier form.  
"Doctor Marks", Donovan answered smugly. "Hand over my daughter and I will allow you to leave. O cannot offer the same to Keller."  
Evan wanted to look at Vincent, but he was gone, and he decided not to answer.  
"Kara, come here", Doc ordered as a consequence to that and his daughter moved, tried to get up, although she knew that she would lose more blood, although Evan could see that she didn't want to.  
"You'll kill her!" Evan yelled and turned towards her, speaking much more softly. "Stay down. Kara you have to lay still."  
"I can't. I must", was all she could bring out.  
"I forbid you to die Kara, come here", Doc continued.  
"I'll bring her!" Evan suddenly was on his feet, cautiously making one step out from behind the generator. "Retreat that order."  
Donovan was pleasant surprised by that and answered after a pause that was – at least in Evan's opinion – much too long: "Kara, let Evan take you."  
"Thank you", Evan responded and Doc answered with a nod.  
Neither Vincent, who had jumped up onto the roof of the building, hoping that he could sneak up on the soldiers but had to hide because there were others heading towards him, nor Donovan, Kara or anyone else had expected what happened next. Evan made another side step and brought up that gun he still had held in his hand, aimed and shot. He had been practicing, without knowing that it had been for exactly that moment, or for the purpose of killing. Chest, heart, head: none of the bullets missed its target. Evan was so surprised by himself that he missed the slot of getting back into cover quickly. The second of shack was over and the soldiers returned fire.  
Vincent jumped down, taking only two of them, as Evan made a turn, trying not so stumble over Kara. He could feel a push that made him stumble and then a piercing pain in his shoulder and beneath his shoulder blade. The gun dropped out of his hand and he fell back against the metallic wall of the generator with a smile.

Vincent was fast still and he disposed of the other two soldiers in less than ten seconds. One day he would finally be able to stop killing, he told himself, because that thought calmed him down enough to keep the beast inside of him in check. He had learned that this was what it was about, what the Beast was trying to do: protect him; he just needed to allow it.  
There were coming more of them and Vincent leaped back into cover almost taking the same way apart staying away from the roof. He had already smelled Evan's blood the second as he had heard the bullets tear through his flesh.  
"You know", Vincent heard Kara whisper under her breath, as he sneaked closer, taking another two soldiers out on his way. "You shouldn't have…"  
"Well I did", he heard Evan answer who wasn't that badly out of breath and moved to get himself into a position where he might be able to use the weapon he got back into his hand. "Now you have to stay alive because you want it to."  
Kara coughed a brief laughter.  
"I do, if you do", she answered, it wasn't even exhaling anymore.  
"Oh, it's just a scratch", Evan gave back, which was obviously a lie, however if what he had said and believed was true there was already help on the way, for the both of them.  
Vincent decided to take the soldiers away from them, making wide circles around the generator, staying in the shades, praying that someone soon would show up, because beast or not even he sooner or later would really be outnumbered.  
"You can take", Kara moved slightly, somehow managing to lift up Evan's leather jacket a bit and added "Not cold. Anymore."  
Evan tried to compose his facial expression which wanted to shift from worry to despair.  
"Kara", he scooted closer. "Stay awake."  
"I know", she whispered sleepy.  
He ignored the pain in his side and shoulder, ignored the situation they were in, or the sound of Vincent fighting somewhere close. Dropping the weapon he turned around to her brushing strains of hair out of her white face. Breathing became more and more difficult for him.  
Kara blinked and looked up at him granting him a weak, roguish smirk.  
"Stupid", he could barely understand her, yet he cocked one brow as an answer.  
She obviously wanted to laugh but her lungs didn't have enough air left.  
"Letting them shoot you", she pushed out and Evan could hear her muscles relax, pulling in the air again; she had blood in her lungs.  
"Just like you", he smiled at her; at least he tried to, since he felt completely helpless.  
There was no way helping her. Not like that night when he had saved Catherine on that street. Now he had nothing useful. All he could hope that they would show up every second now.  
"I wish we could switch places", he heard himself admit.  
"Instead, you follow me", each of her words climbed out her mouth on their own.  
"Don't talk, save your breath", Evan said automatically.  
Kara stayed silent. Finally she listened to him. Yet that was something he didn't expect. As he looked up from her hand he held her eyes were closed and her chest wasn't moving.

Since he was too busy distracting those who tried to get closer to the generator Vincent was oblivious to what happened right there. He knew that Evan had been hit, but he also had heard him speak. So for now he would be okay. It was more important now to keep the little groups of Muirfield soldiers at bay. Luckily they didn't think of moving in with a bigger group. He could handle four men, because he was fast enough and this was why he seemed to have scared them off a little. It was in one of these pauses as he realized that something was wrong, yet he wasn't able to tell what it was.  
"Kara?" he heard Evan's voice sounding insecure, just to repeat saying her name much louder and much more worried.  
Vincent had no chance going back, he had to make sure that no one got to them and a part of him simply couldn't face someone dying he cared about. So he gave in to his second nature, because he needed to, not only for being able to fight off the next group coming his way.  
Evan didn't notice that he let go of the gun in his hand, which already felt a little numb and cold. Still there was enough strength left in him to grab Kara's shoulders and shake her twice  
"Kara!" he shouted at her suddenly her chest moved down briefly, just for her to exhale as deeply as she was capable of, coughing out air in the next moment.  
Blinkingly she opened her eyes to look at him. Kara was whiter than the clouds above them in the sky.  
"Don't you dare leave me now", Evan brought out with a trembling voice. "Now that I got shot twice because of you."  
"S…sorry", she exhaled faintly and managed to bring up one corner of her mouth.  
Evan placed his hand at her neck, barely sensing her pulse. Kara was colder than the ground she was laying on. He tried not to show how he felt, or what he thought, because even if they were coming any moment now there still was a chance that it was too late. Carefully he pulled her up, gritting his teeth due to the pain his own wounds caused. Evan cradled Kara in his arms onto his lap. She was that cold that she made him tremble and as she placed her neck weakly against his neck she could have had put an ice cube against his skin and he wouldn't have been able to tell the difference.  
"Hang on", Evan murmured against her forehead, trying to breathe evenly, "just a little bit longer. Just stay with me. Keep breathing."  
He could feel her hand tucking at the collar oh his shirt. As long as he would feel that pull Evan would know that she was still there. Pulling her closer and his jacket over her, he tried to keep her warm and his own hopes up.  
"Keep talking", Kara whispered breathlessly; and he could imagine all the things she might have wanted to add right now, something that would tease or embarrass him.  
Evan didn't know her that long, yet that little that he knew of her was enough to fill up all the gaps. He could tell, he already had been able to do so that moment she had kissed him. Life was full of irony.

In the background beyond the humming of the generator they could hear Vincent fight, more or less ripping and tearing through whatever came his way. Yet Evan and Kara both knew that sooner or later even he would run out of breath. They should leave as long as they were able to, but this meant leaving Kara behind. She agreed with this plan obviously since she seemed to willingly have gotten herself shot several times. The only problem was that Evan didn't.  
"You have", she spoke with effort as he wasn't able to speak, "to leave me. Here."  
"Save your breath and stay awake", Evan almost sounded emotionless.  
"Evan", Kara didn't want to give in.  
"No", he looked at her now and the pain displaying on it wasn't either emotion or injury: it was both and he himself had increasing problems with breathing now. "I know that this is exactly what your father did, but still I can't."  
"Stubborn Thommies", she pushed out. "Never …"  
Kara wasn't able to say anything more. Whatever she had wanted to say it got stuck in her mouth, along with the breath that Evan wanted her to save. And she held it, because there was no place for it to go. Her eyes went shut. Since Evan kissed her and Kara couldn't do anything else than kissing him back.  
Although being nonetheless breathless to him it almost seemed that her pulse beneath his fingertips was growing a little bit stronger, like her skin turned a tiny bit warmer. Maybe he was just imagining it. Maybe it was his own mind trying to give him hope. Maybe it was him growing colder. He didn't care. As long as she kept replying he would kiss her. Evan only pulled away so that she actually could breathe in some fresh air and not only the one he was breathing out.  
"Curse you", Kara almost hissed now.  
"I already am," he replied dryly and they both knew that he was bluntly honest.  
"Why did you stop?" there was a slight grin back on her lips and Evan only could cock one brow because he needed her to stay wide awake and let her mock him, but as she continued, still being breathless – maybe not only because of life bleeding out of her – he already knew what she was going to say: "I need more … mouth-to mouth."  
If there was any pain they didn't feel it, though their minds did admit that there could be other reasons than what romantic hearts might say. Sometimes it was better and definitely okay to listen to the latter.  
Their heartbeat seemed odd now: so much faster, so much stronger. It seemed to be surreal, close to impossible with them being aware of their own condition. Technically it was impossible – especially for Kara – that her pulse would suddenly get that fast and strong. And then Evan realized that it was not her, whose breath was so shallow again that he almost didn't feel it on his skin anymore. Instinctively he pulled away and looked up: there were two helicopters and he could tell by the colors that they were theirs.

Vincent already had heard them coming and he wasn't entirely sure how to act now. He needed to stay like he was and the beast inside him craved for getting cover and hide itself away from the choppers. Yet they were here to help them, to save them. And another upside was that they distracted whoever would want to attack him next. But also they were much easier targets, if it wasn't for the armed policemen sitting in the doors that just were opened. They had brought a squat team. Vincent went for cover, to calm himself down so that he could approach those men like one of them, more or less. He was still worried, maybe even more than before. Though he sensed that Kara was on the brink of death he couldn't help but be scared for Catherine, since something told him that she wasn't in one of the helicopters.  
"Almost there", Evan said with a smile, watching how the members of the squat team jumped down the ropes and already opened fire.  
For a brief moment he was concerned about Vincent getting in the line of fire, but he knew he should know better. Then his glance fell back on Kara.  
"No, no, no, no", was the only thing he was able to say.  
Head had fallen back and her eyes were halfway open. His fingers found no pulse. He tried to lift her up, to get up, but his body failed him. He was cold himself and no matter how hard he tried his muscles didn't bring up enough strength. Clouds of dust spoke of cars approaching fast and now he could hear sirens. Yet he was sure that they hadn't seen them. Evan felt like he had lost the ability to breathe himself, until he could sense a strange weight being pulled off of him. Was this how it was like?  
His eyes focused in the same moment as he suddenly stood on his own feet.  
"Can you walk?" Vincent asked him, holding Kara on one of his arms briefly, letting go of Evan the second he nodded, to carry her lifeless body in both.  
Both men were ignoring that Evan was fighting in balance, holding his side that still was bleeding with one hand as he tried to keep up with Vincent, who rushed towards one of the choppers that had landed now further down the property. More cars approached. With a company as big at this they did at least have to have a medic with them.  
Evan fell back, but he didn't care. His eyes were fixed on Vincent's back getting further and further away from him. He kept following, though his legs felt weak. And for a glimpse of an eye he caught himself thinking that he'd rather break down right now than witnessing someone calling Kara's time. He couldn't help her. Him being the one that could save her, but right now he wasn't able to. A part of him was grateful for stumbling, but he didn't hit the ground.  
"Marks, I got you", that voice was awkwardly familiar and he looked up into Bishop's face.

Evan blinked and recognized his boss and somewhat friend. Since coming to the US he didn't make that much friends and Bishop was a colleague getting really close to that status. As Bishop placed his arm around him so that he could support himself, he was able to look up and she Vincent arriving at one of the squat cars that just had arrived.  
"Who are they?" Joe wanted to know, aiding him to move into the same direction. "Are those the two witnesses Chandler and Vargas were talking about?"  
"Yes", Evan huffed and tried to speed up. "We need to save her."  
He still had that picture of her halfway opened eyes in his head, her halfway opened eyes with dilated pupils, like when someone had died, like the eyes of the people he had killed today now looked like.  
"We need to save her", he repeated without noticing and Bishop didn't comment on that but helped him closing up.  
Evans eyes were fixated on the point he needed to reach, trying to see what was happening there. It seemed so far away.  
"She can't be dead", he didn't notice that he was speaking out aloud, which was – so he would say as a doctor – a sign of shock, and he was.

Vincent placed Kara's lifeless body onto the loading space of the black squad car. One of the men instantly ran up to him to take a look at that corpse he was carrying.  
"No chance, it's too late", he said after placing two of his finger against her neck, trying to find a pulse, which he obviously didn't.  
"I need an injection needle and a tube", Vincent ignored him. "Now!"  
The medic shrugged and gave it to him, asking: "Which blood type?" like he was expecting him to realize that his was hopeless, but Vincent answered grumpily: "Mine."  
The man blinked but acted, bringing out the same set for a second time, watching Vincent in terrified awe how he first stuck a needle into his arm, starting to pump with his hand, and then into Kara's.  
One could read it from his face that he wasn't sure if this would work, but he needed to give it a try. He healed quicker than the following generations, he knew that. There was that tiny chance that it could work and the big threat that it wouldn't. Her body could reject his blood which would end up in her blood clotting, but then again technically she was already dead.  
"CPR", he ordered, sounding at military as he hadn't for more than ten years.  
The medic automatically nodded and started to work on Kara's chest, making her heart beat for her, barking another man's name to come over and intubate her.  
"No tube", Vincent shook his head, continuing to pump, telling his beast to get his heart beating faster, to push out more of his own blood into Kara's veins.  
The second guy shrugged and did what he was told.

Cat felt like she needed to sleep and she really, really wanted to but something kept chewing on her thoughts, making it impossible to get some rest. Like some inner voice was trying to tell her something without her having the ability to understand it.  
Tess and her had told Bishop as much as possible and told him that Evan was part of their investigation against Muirfield with him being a mole. They had told him that Vincent and Kara would be top witnesses, but in fact Cat knew that the most important one - out of the legal point of view - would be her own father.  
"Are you okay?" she heard her partner out of a strange distance, like Tess was much further away than sitting directly next to her.  
"Hm", was the only response she got.  
Catherine knew it. She knew that she wasn't okay, she knew that nothing was okay but still she was incapable of saying it, like trying to breathe water or drink air. This wasn't her. Yet she knew as she looked through her almost closed eyelids how insanely pale she was. She was so white that she almost looked blue, like suffocating, like she had been breathless for more than five minutes. And Catherine knew, she simply knew that this had something to do with the fetus inside of her. Some things just were pure instinct. Yet she kept silent, hoping for Tess to continue racing down that street, getting closer yard for yard.  
Though feeling numb her mind was still working crazy, thinking about all the possibilities. And she simply guessed that she had felt okay until the serum had worn off. It was the only logical conclusion she got. Maybe that thing inside of her had saved her life, but now it seemed like it was either her or it, like it was trying to kill her now.  
Cat knew that she could simply go on, taking the risk, accepting the possibility that she would kill it . She felt like her body was fighting it, because it was not like her, because its DNA was different. It was the logical, natural thing to do. But did she want that?  
"How much do you have left?" she heard herself speak weakly, turning her head just a bit towards Alex so that she felt addressed.  
And Vincent's ex started rummaging in her bag.  
"Three", she answered.  
Three, Cat repeated in her mind. If Vincent and Kara were severely wounded they would at least need one, maybe even two. She couldn't risk that. Was an uncertain life of more worth than two existing one? And then again she would maybe need one injection for the next 8.5 months.  
Catherine just wished that she knew for sure, that she knew that she was really pregnant and all of this wasn't just a side effect of the serum. But then again deep inside of her, hidden in the dark corners of her mind she knew. She simply knew that it was true. That inside of her wasn't just a thing, a foreign object, a parasite feeding off of her. Cat just knew it, as hard as it was to admit, as hard as it was to accept, she just knew. Breathing in deeply she closed her eyes. Maybe it was okay not to care for herself, but she would be dammed if she didn't care for her child. For their child.

As Vincent looked up he saw Evan getting closer supported by the one who was Catherine's boss and the big brother of Darius, the one he had killed accidentally. Another secret of theirs. However Evan didn't look either and pale as well. Vincent could hear how his heartbeat was already weak and his breath shallow and though he didn't need to press on his two shot wounds they both as doctors knew that he probably was bleeding to the inside.  
"He needs an infusion", Vincent ordered to the one doing mouth-to mouth on Kara and he instantly let go of her jumping into the squat car, before Evan had been able to say "no or stop". "Tell him your type", Vincent barked and Evan obeyed.  
"Sir, she's been…" the one doing CPR started but stopped the moment Vincent glared at him.  
"You need to call Vargas", Evan breathed out towards Bishop and ignored the man who returned from the loading space to stick him with a needle to give him his infusion. "And get her into a chopper."  
His boss frowned: "There's a lot of explanation to do since I start to feel like a rookie being bossed around by everyone. When did that happen?"  
"They've got a serum she needs",  
Gunshots in the distance. This time there were smaller explosions but that were the squat teams opening doors.  
"This operation", Vincent said.  
"Muirfield", Joe threw in and he nodded, continuing: "They are doing experiments on humans."  
"Vargas already told me", Bishop explained. "You both are witnesses."  
"We both are test subjects", Vincent responded.  
It felt strange telling this that openly to a servant of the public and with a chance that he might actually believe it.  
"The serum Tess and Cat have can save her", Evan joined in as his medic shoved him around and made him sit down onto the loading space next to Kara whose eyes were shut now and who still looked that devastatingly pale white.  
Bishop yelled a name and an officer came jogging: "Get Vargas location and pick her up with a chopper, now!"  
Strange how easy things could be if one went with the truth, Vincent found out, still pumping his hand, hoping that it would have any effect. The serum wouldn't help at all if her body had already shut down completely. And she had been already dead for minutes. The chances that normal, human blood would have been able to help her had been ever less than his.  
"Evan, you should lay down", Vincent said a hint gentler than he had addressed anyone else.  
"He should get in a hospital, just like you and … her", Bishop decided but both men disagreed.  
"Only the serum can safe her", Evan exhaled and lay down.  
"That's not my blood", Vincent rather murmured, earning a merely shocked glance by Joe: "How many of you are there?" he needed to know and Darius' killer knew where this was heading.  
"I'm not sure", he answered sincerely. "I can't tell if there were more than those in the warehouse. So her and me, I think."  
"Connor", Evan added lowly. "And Alex."  
Vincent froze.

Bishop blinked as he saw the man's expression. For him this whole situation was odd, but somehow it felt like a relief seeing that he wasn't the only one struggling with putting all those pieces together.  
"Alex?" Vincent repeated in disbelieve and took a step so that he could look at Evan who was examined by the other medic.  
"There's no other Alex than the woman we both know", he answered staring up at the ceiling of the vehicle.  
"We have to get him into the hospital, unless that magical potion works on him as well", the medic looked at Vincent, who briefly nodded once as he tried to cope with that information about his former fiancée.  
"We have samples of the virus at the cabin", Evan continued and spoke lowly, almost whispered, but it wasn't because he didn't want Bishop to hear, but due to the fact that he now had difficulties to breathe as well.  
It seemed like he hadn't noticed that Vincent just gave the permission to separate him from Kara and that his boss agreed with him nodding as well when the medic checked for the order.  
"Doctor Chandler was prepared for everything", Evan added and he would have gone further explaining if the medic hadn't pulled him up and moved him away.  
"No, I'm staying", he protested weakly, but there was no way for him to put any power in his protest, because his feet failed him so that Bishop had to help him.  
"You're going to die if you don't get into the hospital, Marks", he explained.  
"And Kara will kill me if she finds out that it was because of me keeping you here", Vincent added.  
Evan looked down at her. Nothing about her appearance or condition had changed. The scientist in him spoke out what would be the truth in his eyes: she was dead and long gone. And Evan was a scientist at heart, living my facts and evidence. Now all his friends who always let to the truth were betraying him. Yet sometimes - so he had learned - they lead to the wrong conclusions. He glanced at Vincent now. Like in this man's case. He wasn't a fully artificial created creature, he was a human whose DNA had been tampered with. Just like Kara. There were facts Evan didn't know and he the scientist prayed silently that those facts were enough for him to be wrong.  
"Shall I stop now?" the first medic asked as Vincent's attention was back on that lifeless body in front of him. "I'm basically pumping your blood to the floor.  
"Is it clotting?" was the only reply he got.  
"No", the man brought out hesitantly.  
"Then don't", Vincent answered and stated. "I need to get the bullets out."  
"In the back on the left", the medic answered automatically.  
Vincent pulled out the needle to jump into the vehicle just to return a second later leaving the man next to him breathless. The injection needle was back in its place before the tube could fill itself with anything else than his blood.  
"What test did they do on you?" the medic was stunned, but Vincent just looked at him briefly: "You honestly don't want to know."

Time flies when one concentrates on pulling out several bullets of a supposedly dead body. Vincent kept monitoring the wounds, hoping that he would see a change like them regenerating, but while taking out one after one after one his hopes went with them. He hadn't tried to be reasonable because of Evan. Catherine's friend wouldn't have left if he hadn't played along with him. Even with Kara being genetically altered he wasn't sure if there was any chance left.  
It had become more silent around and there had been at least one more chopper now turning circles in the air and then he heard a second one Vincent didn't give it much thought, because of Kara. Many steps had approached him and passed him by.  
"It's not working", the medic said breathlessly. "I'm sorry. We're doing this for almost 20 minutes now."  
"I know", Vincent gave back frowningly.  
There was a pair of feet running now, followed by more. Maybe they had found something. But that person approaching, who was definitely lighter than him, ran pretty fast, maybe too fast and a gush of air brought a familiar scent to his nose. As Vincent looked up Alex was already next to him.  
"Oh no, oh no", she exhaled, trying to catch her breath.  
Obviously his former fiancée had sprinted here, but she wasn't that out of breath. Why should she with what she was now. The only thing really different about her however where her eyes.  
"How long?" Alex looked straight into his.  
"Almost 20 minutes", he gave back and swallowed dryly.  
"You are giving her your blood", she stated. "Good, very good."  
Alex pulled out an injection needle and told the completely stunned medic: "Please step back", just to stab the needle directly into Kara's chest.  
Then she tossed it away and straddled the woman's body, starting to give her CPR and mouth-to-mouth as well.  
"Carefully", Vincent whispered, worried about the possibility that she would underestimate her own strength - if Evan had been right, but why should he have lied?  
Alex looked at him and nodded.  
"I need you to stay here and give her more blood", she told him before she breathed for Kara again and Vincent agreed silently, not really understanding why she told him this until he noticed.  
He caught this very specific odor, he could hear this heart beat that he was able to recognize within a crowd.  
"Catherine", he said lowly and his own pulse sped up, with the beast inside of him fully awake and his eyes briefly flashing yellow.  
Vincent became even more anxious as he sensed something off. She wasn't well. And now all he wanted was to rush over to her, who came towards him slowly, much too slowly, because he knew that she would have run if she had been able to.  
"Vincent, breathe", Alex reminded him. "Stay in control."

Catherine came closer slowly and he could see now that Tess was supporting her. Joe was with them. There was no way abandoning Kara risking her only chance just for him being able to hold her. Vincent could see from the distance how pale she was, yet it was a different color than Kara's.  
"How are they?" he asked Alex without looking at her, but she understood. "I'm not sure about both of them, right now", she answered, checking Kara's pulse. "But I think... I fear she's losing it. I think they are rejecting each other." She breathed in air into Kara's lungs.  
"So she's really...?" Vincent needed all his strength to keep standing right there and hold his beast back from leaping forward.  
"First I thought it was a side effect of the serum", Alex continued and stopped her work, gesturing towards the medic to take over and pulled another needle out of her jacket.  
This time the injected the serum into the vein at Kara's neck.  
"That her results came out like that", she spoke while injecting.  
"Serum?" Vincent now looked at her, breathing shallowly.  
"Her mother changed parts of her DNA when she was a child to save her life. Muirfield financed her work in exchange for the results. This is why the serum works", Alex proceeded speaking and CPR for Kara, telling the medic to continue the breathing. "And I guess the serum also made it even possible for her to keep it that long."  
Vincent slumped down onto the rim of the loading space where Kara was laying. Now he didn't have to worry about him running towards her, because his legs refused to work, like his mind. All he could do was staring into the distance and he didn't see her anymore, or hear Alex.

Cat didn't need superhuman eyes to recognize him from the distance and she envied Alex for a moment once more, this time because she was able to be that fast. Yet she knew that she wouldn't increase her steps due to her body rebelling against her. She felt like losing balance, like walking on eggs, or pearls. Until now she was without pain but she suspected that this would change soon. However Catherine could see Vincent, and how he looked at her, not able to move away because of Kara, as she had learned. Evan wasn't there, so Bishop had told them as well. Her heart smashed itself to the ground as she saw how Vincent sat down like someone had pulled away the world beneath his feet.  
And then there it was, making her almost topple over and panically gasp for air and press her hands on her abdomen: this direful pain like someone had sliced into her and tried to rip out her insides. Tears exploded in her eyes and the only thing that stopped her from falling was her best friend holding her.

Vincent didn't see it, but he didn't need to; he heard her gasp, her whimper, that chaotic pulse of hers and it was almost like he could feel her agony, smell her panic.  
"Vincent, stop!" Alex shouted at him, ripping him back to himself, clawing into the beast, making it hesitate long enough for him to snap around and snarl her.  
His yellow-ocher eyes blinked and he tilted his head, realizing that she held out and injection needle, not knowing that it was the last one she had and Kara still wasn't moving. He took it and ran.

Tess looked helplessly at Joe and then back at Cat. She had known that something was wrong but she never expected it to be that wrong. And as her boss and affair just was about to run off for help all of the sudden Vincent was there and he wasn't looking alright as well. In fact Joe leaped backwards, but that Tess didn't shock him even more than that warped face with those ocher eyes.  
"Catherine", Vincent's voice was lower, more fully, like pitched down an octave, and he brought his free hand to her jaw.  
She blinked and glanced at him, gritting her teeth in pain, breathing through them, and with her eyelids fluttering tears crawled down her face, reaching his thumb.  
"I need a vein", his tone was more normal now and Cat tilted her head, exposing her neck, because it was the fastest way.  
Vincent saw what she was thinking in her eyes, in the lines of her distorted features. This wasn't about her being in pain, this was about her being in panic.  
There was no instant improvement of her condition and with him formerly working at the ER he knew that in most cases pain in such an extent was a sing for being too late. Yet Catherine never was one of most cases.  
As he pulled the needle off of her, Vincent wrapped his arms around her to pull her as close as possible without increasing her pain.  
"She needs to get into a hospital", Tess spoke out the obvious, but Cat clawed her fingers into Vincent's shirt; she wouldn't walk anywhere.  
He lifted her up easily, carefully and she hid her wet face at his neck. Catherine didn't sob, but she didn't stop crying either. There was no way stopping it and he felt too weak, too worn out, and too scared to try.  
"I'm here", Vincent whispered. "Everything is going to be okay."  
He didn't tell this solely to her, but to him as well. Someday it would be. Someday it would have to be.  
Suddenly one of her shaky hands was there where it seemed to belong: at his cheek, pushing it towards her face, which was still covered in tears. Vincent stopped walking her to the chopper away from Kara and Alex and she pulled his lips on hers, kissing him that desperately that he feared he would drown.  
There had been days when believing the other one was still alive was the most hardest thing to do and they had to try facing the idea, to the desolation of a life without the other. And right now when all of this had turned into ashes, when they should have been able to breathe out in relief the next devastation was already jumping them.  
They did only pull away to catch air and look into each other's eyes. The world could crumble down right now around them and they wouldn't notice and wouldn't care. In this very moment they both realized that the four weeks were over, that this here and now was real. Even though Catherine's tears wouldn't stop and her face still was pale there was a weak, brief smile on her lips.

Yet there always comes the sting of realization that you are not alone, that the world isn't built around you but has its own way. Catherine was better now, although no one would set one's signature beneath that. Vincent knew. Not physically, or psychologically, not significantly, yet they were together and that changed everything at least for the both of them.  
"Kara", Catherine breathed out, still being in pain. "How is she? Did it work?"  
Vincent turned around looking back, just to shake his head: "I can't tell. It might have been too late. I never have experienced the effect of that serum."  
"Well it seemed to have saved my life, Alex's and Connor's. I need to believe that it can save her too."  
Once more he looked into the distance, his eyes fixating on his ex-fiancée, harking to the sounds, trying to blend out all the other noises of people, cars moving, engines starting and being shut off, the clicking of cameras taking pictures, talking, interrogating, all the while he continued carrying Catherine to the helicopter because she had to go back to the hospital. The medic wasn't with Alex anymore but she still was with Kara, who still was lying on the loading space of the big squat car. Steps of someone approaching her: a woman in a suit, showing her a badge, with a pulse slightly exhilarated. It was excitement and worry, maybe but the female agent wasn't nervous, so she wasn't afraid of getting caught. A younger man followed her and he was in fact a little nervous. They seemed to be okay. Again he tried to focus on Kara, to catch a sound, a noise, a movement, while taking Catherine to the chopper that was now the loudest distraction.  
"Vincent?" her voice sucked his attention back to her.  
She knew that he was aware of where he was going, so it had to be worry about something else.  
"It's alright", he answered cryptically and they both knew that he was lying.  
Joe and Tess had been walking with them, not making any efforts to disturb them. In fact Cat's best friend and partner tried to explain everything as carefully and helpfully as possible. He got to know all he needed to in words that were true and still hiding enough from him for not to snap.  
"I have to stay here", he said, "and take care of these FBI agents that apparently want to take everyone into witness protection. But I'm not willing to give up two of my best Detectives just yet."  
Joe glanced at all of them, but his eyes rested on Vincent the longest. It could have meant everything, yet he didn't drop another word but turned away, not without accidentally brushing Tess's forearm, stroking her hand.  
"At least something hasn't changed", Cat cocked one brow and the tears finally had stopped pouring.

Vincent tried to focus back on Alex and Kara again, yet there were too many distractions, to many other sounds and noises. He had given a lot of his own blood and he now realized how much that actually had worn him out. Of course he would be fine, there was nothing to worry about unless Catherine was. Trying to eavesdrop on Alex and the agents talking to her he could only hear bits and pieces.  
"I know who you are", his ex said, as he carried his girlfriend to the chopper which rotors were running and that only offered seats for four. "You were watching over Catherine Chandler's room at the hospital."  
"We can assist you", the female agent answered. "Doctor Chandler supplied us not only with intelligence but with data as well. If you could give us her notes, we might be able to help, not only with giving you witness protection."  
Tess was already got into the first of the two back seats, which was the best thing to do because Vincent would be able to lift Cat inside and get her out again, once they were at the hospital.  
Listening to the conversation in the distance was close to impossible now and as if Alex has sensed it she turned her head towards him and their glances met. There was more changed about her than just the color of her eyes and he didn't think of the fact that she had become or still was becoming a part of the experiments. It was like she eventually had grown up. When she looked back at the FBI agents he could entirely hear what she said, but from how her mouth was moving and the tipped sounds that arrived him he believed it was: "I need Connor."  
Vincent lifted Catherine into the seat with Tess assisting him, before he ran around the helicopter to take the shotgun's seat. He knew that he should sit straight, but he couldn't he needed to turn around to see her, just as badly as she needed to see him. It was a strange feeling to watch Tess placing an arm around her, the one that never needed comfort in that way, but it was because of something no one ever had imagined. Vincent's glance dropped automatically, because of Catherine's posture, because of that different aura that was radiating off of her, because of the fact that her hands were still pressed worriedly onto her abdomen.  
When he looked up at her face again she was already watching him. Both had the same expression written over their faces wondering about the thought of the other. Yet by the way Catherine was acting, how she seemed to fear for this unlikely life her instincts drove her to protect, there weren't any possibilities to wager. Maybe her mind was still pondering, still fighting with that thought of her being a mother and she definitely would always wonder if she'd ever be a good one, but by the way her expression changed, how her lips formed an insecure smile, Catherine rock-solidly believed that Vincent would make her one.

The helicopter was lifting off and it looked like Catherine already was less pale, since the serum already had time to spread in her circular system. The chopper made a turn, giving the three of them a perfect overview across the Muirfield plant, which basically had been a large cubic warehouse. Several cars surrounded the building and it looked like they had arrested quite a few associates of the hidden operation. In front of the entrance through which Vincent, Evan and Kara had gotten out a row of black body bags were lined up. One of them - so Vincent knew - was Kara's father and Catherine's tormentor Michael "Doc" Donovan. This man was dead and he was absolutely sure of it. He had seen Evan shoot him three times and one of the bullets went right through that madman's brain.  
He turned his head to get a glimpse at the squat car where he had left Kara and Alex, suddenly feeling conflicted about it. There hadn't been anything he could have done and that hadn't changed. Catherine needed him and he needed her. Yet he still felt like abandoning Kara.  
"Is she dead?" Tess spoke out the question that was turning the air cold.  
"We don't know", Catherine answered for Vincent, looking at him. "You never know when it comes to ..."  
How could you call them? Because the last thing that Vincent, Kara, Connor and now Alex were came even close to the expression that had been used: beasts, monsters, abominations, killers. They weren't anything like that. Not like Donovan, not like most of the Muirfield associates.  
"You can never know", Catherine decided.  
"What about this Doc guy?" Tess turned towards Vincent.  
"Evan shot him", he answered instantly and both cops just blinked in disbelief. "Three times", he added gesturing to the points of his own body where the bullets had gone. "Dead as a doornail."  
"Evan?" Tess repeated and Vincent nodded.  
"And how is he?" Catherine wanted to know, still looking worn out, yet nonetheless worried.  
"He was shot taking Doc down, two times, shoulder and chest", Vincent frowned. "He lost a lot of blood but he got into a helicopter as well and should already be in the hospital."  
"Kara better makes it", was all Tess commented to that and turned her eyes to the window, not wanting to talk much more about all of this.  
"You look better", Vincent said softly, reaching out for Catherine who took one of her hands from her abdomen and took his.  
"I do feel better, the pain is less", she answered.  
"We should still", he started but was cut off by her nodding with eyes closed. "Just to be sure and then we will have to get to where it all began. My mother has hidden documents there and my father needs to see them. We are going to take them down."


	21. Redemption

∴ Chapter 21 ∴ Redemption ∴ PG-13

The air was filled the odor of germicides, cleaning agents and more than clean sheets. Although haven been here for quite some time Catherine never would get used to it. She didn't feel comfortable around here, not even when she was allowed to leave and putting her jacket back on. The only good thing was that when she left the examination room Tess and Vincent were waiting for her. And that made her smile, even though she felt obliged to walk carefully.  
"The doctor said that I am okay", she opened up the conversation with a shrug like this wasn't surprising at all, because she literally could feel how she became better and better all the way to the hospital. "And I am fine."  
Vincent slid his arms beneath hers to place his hands on her hips and pull her close and she answered with turning that gesture into a full embrace, placing her head against his chest and closing her eyes.  
"The ultrasound almost showed nothing", she murmured against the fabric of his shirt. "You should take a shower and get fresh …", she pushed herself away, as she sniffed and realized that he smelled different.  
"Thank you", Vincent distorted his mouth into a crooked smirk.  
"Even I could smell that", Tess pointed at him. "That's why he looks like a doctor now."  
In fact he was wearing hospital clothes now.  
"It suits you", Catherine smiled approvingly, taking his hands into her.  
"I know", Vincent teased back, but their expression faded almost simultaneously.  
"It seems like", she started reluctantly, with her gaze dropping to the ground, "if we want to pull this through", and cautiously she glanced back up at him.  
"We will need more of that serum", Vincent ended her thought, agreeing with her.  
They exchanged long looks like they were trying to communicate without speaking, hoping to find out the other one's thought.  
"Well it's not like you'd be the first couple injecting the mother-to-be stuff just for the wellbeing of … their child", Tess joined the conversation with actually using words. "The only odd thing about all of this is that I always thought that Heather would be the first."  
"You make it sound so simple", Cat wasn't sure if she should laugh or not.  
"Well it is"; Tess shrugged. "The serum will actually make sure that your kid will be healthy. So what's the deal? I'm pretty sure the both of you want to keep it, right? So can we go see Evan now? I'm kind-a worried."  
It was Vincent now, who chuckled.  
"I like her", he said and tucked at Catherine's hands to make her step closer again.  
"What a relief that this is mutual", Tess pursed her lips smugly, before she made a turn and started walking, since she already knew the way.  
Catherine took her hands out of his to place them onto his chest.  
"You're really in?" she played with the ending of his V-collar.  
His answer was enfolding her face with his fingers to kiss her and that kiss turned out to be much longer than originally intended.

They caught up quickly, not only because Tess had told Vincent where to go, but because he could follow her scent and he knew this hospital, which should have been something to worry about. Yet more than ten years had passed and no one would expect to see him here.  
The only one who would have was Alex and apart from that she had caused some chaos last year everything was different now. Most certainly she was different now.  
"He's still in surgery?" Catherine asked worriedly and a nurse who had heard her came over to them: "Next of kin?" she asked.  
"Not on paper", was Cat's reply before anyone could think about it and Tess pulled out her badge: "Detective Vargas. This is Detective Chandler. He's our colleague."  
"Well he lost very much blood and the bullets stuck in deep", the nurse answered, "but as far as I know from the scans your colleague was very lucky. His organs seemed to be intact, one bullet grazed a vein, but our surgeon is the best."  
Vincent gave her a nod, while still having his arm around Cat and the woman left.  
"He's going to make it", Tess spoke out their thoughts in relief.  
"That's not what she said", her best friend gave back.  
"Because it's bad luck if you do", Vincent came to defense. "There can always be complications.  
So they sat down and waited. Eventually J.T. joined them and when asked about Connor he told them that he had left to join Alex who wouldn't come to the hospital, because someone would definitely recognize her.  
"Kara?" Vincent asked, but his best friend had no answer to that: "Connor didn't say anything about her, just that Alex said she would need him."  
"Evan definitely doesn't want to hear that for an answer", Tess sighed and got up. "I'm going to get some coffee."  
"I need to talk to Heather about our father", Cat said, just when her best friend was about to leave.  
"She knows, Alex told her", Tess frowned slightly. "Well at least not the things she found out herself or your mother told her."  
"Wait, Heather saw her?" Catherine was pale again all of the sudden.  
"She wouldn't give up investigating", J.T. joined in explaining.  
"And your mother was fine with it", Tess added.  
All that Vincent could do in that moment was placing his arm around his girlfriend who rubbed her face with both hands, trying to cope with another bomb being dropped on her: her little sister pulled into this world that had cost her already so much, and all the others who she cared about. And now Heather.  
"She's been working at your father's office since two weeks now", J.T. continued.  
"Heather's been spying on our father?" Cat's eyes grew in disbelief.  
"Well Tom couldn't find much, but your step-mother seems to be not involved at all", was the answer.

After Tess left the nurse came back telling them that it might take longer since they just had started the surgery an hour ago and there would be much more in need to get fixed. Of course they could just wait there, but Catherine couldn't.  
"Right now Muirfield is in a weakened state, with possibly two branches out and we don't know how many there are unless we get my mother's notes", she explained to Vincent.  
"Shouldn't you take it more slowly from now on?" he responded to that..  
"I can slow down when I know that we are safe", she answered, knowing that there was a chance that they never would or that it at least would take much time.  
"And I need to talk to my father", Catherine added.  
Vincent tensed just a moment after, like his instinct was telling him to turn around, when he didn't want to: "I believe that he needs to as well", he said and frowned. "Or that Heather had the same idea."  
They looked at each other while J.T. already was on his feet, realizing that Catherine was holding Vincent's hands.  
"Okay this is going to be really complicated", was his comment on that and he gestured with his thumbs first on him and then to the next exit. "I think I'd better head out? Since Tom's apprentice is here now."  
"You don't have to, you know", Catherine answered to that.  
"Well, this feels like a family reunion and I'm not a part of that", J.T. responded.  
"You're becoming a godfather, so you kind of are", Vincent spoke with a crooked smile that rather seemed to hide a silent plea.  
"Wait…. what?" his best friend faltered slightly.  
"Seems like no one has told him", Catherine stated.  
Unfortunately or luckily it hadn't taken long until her family came around the corner.  
"Thank God you are okay!" her little sister leaped the final steps to hug her tightly, but carefully.  
Vincent did his very best to get onto his feet slowly and calmly.  
"So who is this?" Mr. Chandler asked politely, though there was concern slumbering in his voice.  
Heather let go of her sister and allowed Catherine to get up herself. This wasn't planned like that. Not that she had ever planned out how to actually introduce Vincent to her father, but knowing that just the other day it was hinted to him that she was expecting a child with Evan made this situation even more awkward. And Cat let the moment pass in that could have avoided this emotion to take over everyone.  
"J.T. Forbes", Vincent's best friend jumped in and reached out his hand for Mr. Chandler to take. "I'm…"  
"The future Godfather", Cat helped out now pushing up the corners of her mouth, while she tried to figure out the best offense strategy.  
Stunning her father probably was not the best one, however it gave her a little time.  
"Oh this is so exciting", Heather made little jumps, patting J.T.'s arm, making him dodge and Catherine chuckle.

So this was her sister and for the first time she could see why she was always so cheerful: it took the edginess and severity out of a situation that was hard to handle. It made everything easier even though everyone would his shake her head over her.  
"I love you, sis", Cat suddenly said and pulled Heather into another embrace, just to take her by the shoulders and put her at arm's length in the same moment that Brooke joined the group.  
"Oh, J.T. Forbes", the future godfather shook her hand too know. "I'm going to leave now I have some … uh … errands to take care of."  
Though he could see Vincent's insisting glance he chose to ignore it.  
"So Dad", Catherine inhaled deeply. "Brooke", and now she exhaled. "This is Vincent", she gestured towards him pressing her lips together while trying to force her mind to put a sentence together that would make all of this easier.  
"He's her boyfriend, not Evan", Heather jumped in and everyone looked at her in surprise. "Evan and Cat are friends and nothing more. I knew you'd be worried if I told you that the father is someone you don't know, so I lied. I'm sorry."  
"Oh", Brooke lifted her eyebrows and stretched out her hand. "Nice to meet you, Vincent", she smiled at him and gave Catherine a brief, and most of all knowing glance.  
"Nice to meet you too", Vincent managed to answer.  
It was Heather who placed her hand onto her step-mother's lower arm, telling her that her sister looked like she could need a coffee and she gave her father a strange glance, giving Catherine and Vincent a sense of suspicion.  
The space between the three remaining persons close to the ER where Evan was in surgery was filled with silence. Mr. Chandler was waiting for his daughter to continue while she and her boyfriend were searching for the right words. But words never could be absolutely right.  
"So", Cat started, still searching for the right thing to say, but in the end she chose her sister's strategy. "Dad. I know everything. In fact we", she gestured at Vincent and then back at herself, "know everything. The reason why I was in the hospital and in a coma for almost a month was Muirfield, Doctor Donovan. I think you know whom I am talking about right now. So let's just skip the pretending and arguing."  
Instinctively Vincent moved closer to her, placing his hand on her lower back, to show her that he got that exactly: her back. Catherine's father glanced at her blankly, not saying anything to what he just had heard. And in fact there wasn't much to say when it came to her. Mr. Chandler was perfectly aware of that because she grew up with him and was her mother's daughter.  
"Vincent knew Mom," she continued after granting him a pause to breathe. "He was in Afghanistan with her. She treated him. And you know what I mean with that. Just like Heather knows what I mean with that. Until three weeks ago", her voice turned husky. "She was still alive."

Catherine's father's eyes moved to Vincent and the way his pupils dilated and fixed told her that he knew; she didn't need her boyfriend's skills for that.  
"How?" she asked calmly. "How can you work for them, Dad? How could you let us believe that Mom was dead? You even remarried!"  
"I didn't know", Mr. Chandler eventually said and his answer felt like a punch into the stomach. His face turned pale and he blinked, looking up and turning his face slightly away, when he repeated. "I didn't know."  
There was no need to ask what he hadn't know because the tears in his eyes and that he sat down onto the next chair made it obvious. Catherine swallowed her own tears and took the seat next to him, letting Vincent's hand slide to her shoulder, while she took one of her father's.  
"They came to me afterwards, when I was in the morgue", her Dad looked into her eyes. "They told me that she had been betraying them for years and that they were suspecting me of aiding her, which was true. The only thing I could think of to keep Heather and you safe was continuing to work with them, to give them everything they wanted and to stop trying to help their test subjects and to close my eyes on what Muirfield did", he squeezed her hand and looked up to Vincent again. "I believed that if they were willing to kill someone of their most important scientists, they wouldn't stop from killing to teenagers and me."  
"Dad, do you know about the New York branch?", Cat drew her father's attention back to her and he replied with a nod: "Yes, here is one of their headquarters, actually", he explained. "There's mobile force, I don't know much about them though, only the payment goes through one of the shadow companies I manage, just like a facility at the harbor" - now Vincent and Catherine gave each other a knowing glance, this had been the building where they had kept Vincent and Kara - "and then my office building."  
"That belongs to them?" Cat almost burst out in disbelief.  
"No, it actually belongs to me", Mr. Chandler answered, "but I lease different levels to different shadow companies of Muirfield, even though there aren't any real offices."  
His glances jumped back and forth between his daughter and her boyfriend, not losing a thought about the fact that he was one of Vanessa's subjects.  
"If there are no offices in there, what occupies the rooms? I mean, every time I have visited you at work there were technicians and people leaving the elevators, lights and everything", Catherine frowned.  
"Their servers", Mr. Chandler answered. "One of their data warehouses."  
It was her now who blinked and stared at Vincent who gave her back the same expression.  
"Dad", Cat got up. "We … I mean the New York police just stormed that warehouse and arrested everyone who wasn't killed. There are no Muirfield agents in New York right now, we can take them down, now!" she looked at Vincent again: "I have to tell Joe."  
"No", her Dad still held her hands and stood up as well, "there are still the others on call plus the guards."

Again Catherine and Vincent exchanged glances, but this time they were optimistic.  
"I think a part of them died in the same explosion we were in", she said towards her father. "And the FBI is here, I guess it's worth a shot."  
"I don't want Heather or you to be in danger, Cat, I couldn't live with something happened to the both of you", Mr. Chandler shook his head.  
"That's not you decision to make anymore, Dad", Heather said and made all of them turn around towards her; she was alone.  
"You know too?" he simply wanted to know in worried astonishment.  
"Yes, although Cat did her best to keep me out of this", she shrugged, "And I want them to be stopped."  
"Where's Brooke?" was his next question.  
"With Tess", Heather answered. "I know she's not involved, but I guess she will be, so you should talk to her."  
"Catherine", Vincent placed his hand back on her shoulder. "You all will be in danger, you are aware of that?"  
"It's already too late", she shook her head. "They know that I know and they will soon find out that I'm pregnant with your child. Do you really think that I ever will be safe? No", she shook her head, "not until Muirfield is down."  
"I will talk to Brooke and then I guess I should talk to the FBI and give them all the intelligence I have", Catherine's father suggested. "Maybe we should keep pretending that this conversation never happened."  
"But if they find out and you are not protected…", Cat disagreed.  
"The servers have security systems", Mr. Chandler responded. "Automatic deletion and if that fails the fire alarm will be triggered. If the FBI wants that information on these servers, Muirfield has to believe that the office isn't compromised. So I have to get back to work. Also so that I can encrypt and secure the bank accounts so that no one can use them but me and my new personal assistant."  
Mr. Chandler looked at his younger daughter now and the eyes of Catherine and Vincent followed. Cat smiled approvingly.  
"And I guess it's time you meet my boyfriend", Heather suddenly said and seesawed on her tiptoes grinningly, "he's quite good with computers."  
"Okay", their father nodded, not sharing his younger daughter's bright expression.  
"Dad, we'll be fine", Catherine squeezed his hand and stretched up to give him a kiss on his cheek. "You're not going to lose us."  
"Yes", Heather joined in. "In fact you are gaining a few", she wiggled her eyebrows and made her sister and Vincent look anywhere else in embarrassment.

As Evan woke up he knew exactly how Cat must have felt like almost two days ago. There was just one difference: someone was holding his hand; he felt it even before he opened his eyes. Yet it was a strange sensation to look at the person who was with him right now and feel the pinch of disappointment, knowing that it would have been absolutely different a month ago. He scolded himself silently, because it was impossible for Kara to be here and sit at his side, smiling at him warmly.  
"Hey", he replied Cat's mine weakly.  
Evan felt almost ungrateful for wishing that Kara would be at her place, but somehow it also was kind of redeeming for him to know that he had been able to let her go, to look at his friend without yearning for more, to appreciate her for what she was: his best friend.  
"Hey", Catherine gently placed her second hand on his. "You're going to be okay. They will keep you here for a few more days and then you are free to go."  
"Any word about Kara?" he wanted to know and although her smile remained, her eyes failed to follow.  
"No, I'm sorry. At least not that kind of what you want to hear", Cat shook her head slightly. "I just know that they … I mean the FBI … moved her as well as Alex and Connor. They will go under witness protection now; that is all I know."  
"There's more than that, right?" Evan read the minimal changes in her expression.  
"They won't tell me or anyone where they are now, that includes the whereabouts and the condition of Kara", Cat continued. "You have the choice to do so as well, or stay with us here in New York and continue to fight Muirfield."  
"Is this was you will do?" Evan wanted to know and his friend nodded slowly: "They offered me a job. They already did before yesterday and I think of accepting the offer."  
"I will have to think about that", he answered and received a laugh: "First you need to rest. I'll tell you everything afterwards."  
"Just like you", Evan gave back and tried to smile at least a little.  
"I can rest after we have hacked the Muirfield servers here in New York", Cat responded. "If we get all the files they have stored there it will be difficult for them to harm us. We are taking them down, Evan and then we all will be free."  
There was nothing he could add to her words. It was a good thing, but then again it seemed to be too late for others. As a good friend as she was, Cat knew that he wasn't fine even though the doctor had told her he was doing good.  
"I wish I could tell you something", she said.  
"I guess I wouldn't want to know if Kara's dead", Evan looked straight at her, "regardless of the redemption."

J.T. and Tom were sitting in what seemed to be a van of the public services and along with him was Vincent standing and looking like if he had the chance he would be pacing up and down. Since that was impossible he kept standing there, trying to keep his muscles from tensing and ended up gripping around a bar of the metal rack next to him.  
"I've never done this serving the government", Tom said enthusiastically while he was torturing the keyboard of his notebook. "This is really exciting!"  
"Would you just keep on overwriting the security systems so that we can start?" J.T. gave back nervously and looked up at his best friend.  
Heather and her father had returned to work and she kept texting Tom information, cloaking them in trivial phrases, just like a freshly in love girl would do. The office building was relatively quiet and everything seemed to be as usual, so her messages told. Yet sooner or later Muirfield would definitely contact Mr. Chandler due to the loss of an entire branch of their enterprise. Right now he was giving his younger daughter full power over all the accounts and companies he had set up and managed for Muirfield, which had to be down before Tom would cut off the system from any possible intrusion  
"Another message", J.T. reported as he took his friends mobile into his hands after it had rung. "Ugh, Dad's making me help dissolving a company which has lost its facility lately", he quoted.  
"Does she mean the harbor building?" Vincent pondered.  
"I'm pretty sure about that", J.T. gave back. "I'm calling Special Agent Scully."  
"You mean Finch", his best friend corrected him.  
"Yeah, whatever", he grumbled. "They are starting to cut off everything leading towards them. Hopefully M is oblivious to what happened."  
"Well there are no orders heading in from the outside and I am finished with changing the codes", Tom stretched out his arms and flexed his fingers. "I'm isolating the servers now and then we have to get in to secure the system from the inside."  
"I'll tell them to be ready then", J.T. rather sighed than affirmed, but both of his friends knew that this was due to his always existent anxiety.  
He made his call and Vincent flinched as he realized that he had crushed the bar he had been holding. Cautiously he looked at the two men sitting behind him being ignorant about what had happened. So he tried to reverse the damage he had done. Not really because he needed to cover his tracks - because there was no need for it anymore - and not really because he felt bad about it. It wasn't something that important, yet a very good distraction from waiting. J.T.'s anxiety was catching, knowing that there was a chance running into Muirfield agents again and being aware of his friend's doubts concerning the FBI agents. Just because you want to trust someone since it makes many things so much easier, doesn't mean you can actually trust them. They both had too much experience on that account.

Catherine knew that as about now they were going in. The FBI agents with their reinforcements, as well as Joe and Tess with at least two teams - and much to her disappointment without her - and Vincent with J.T. and Tom. Knowing that all of her family, apart from Brooke, namely her father and her sister were also there in that building, made it absolutely impossible to remain calm.  
"Are you okay?" Evan asked now, because she hadn't left him as she obviously originally had planned to do, but instead she was still sitting there clinging to his hands like they were her only straw.  
"No", she smiled at him briefly. "They are going in without me. They all are there and all I can do is sit and pray that Muirfield isn't more powerful than we have anticipated."  
Evan knew that her father was involved in the whole affair, and of course he knew about Heather's investment as well.  
"What could they possibly do?" he heard himself ask, yet it left like the question of a stranger.  
"Bring down the building?" Cat's answer had been that quick that she doubtlessly already had asked herself the same question. "Stage a terror attack? There's nothing I would put past them."  
"We took down their facility", Evan tried to reassure her but he sounded weary. "I doubt that they have any more reinforcements here."  
"Yes, but they could have flown in. It has been hours", Cat gave back staring in the white sheets that were covering his body.  
"If they had been able to send a message. If we're lucky, the only reported that Kara, Vincent and I were on the run, and the others had waited for them to respond before getting into it, who knows?" he pondered.  
"Shouldn't I be the one distracting you?" Cat tried to smile at him.  
"You cannot distract me", Evan responded to instantly regret it.  
His friend's eyes returned to him filled with empathy and compassion.  
"Does your instinct tell you that she's gone?" she asked gently, warmly, scooting closer with her chair, holding his hands merely tighter.  
Evan inhaled deeply and sighed: "I really don't know. Out of experience the injuries she suffered from were lethal. I know I have seen Vincent come back from the dead but that was because you were there. And…", she shook his head looking up to the ceiling, "… even if we had … that kind of connection…", she shrugged his shoulders once and glanced back at her, "I wasn't there. I trust into the serum of your mother, in science, yet science tells he that knowing how long it must have taken you to get to her, that it was too late."  
"There's more than science in the world, Evan", Catherine responded. "More than numbers and facts. Vincent taught me that."  
"I don't even know why she means that much to me", he gave back and breathed deeply, closing his eyes.

It was a weird sensation to be part of an official squad again, even though they hadn't given him any weapon and for the police he was part of a special FBI unit they wouldn't met. Still it felt strange, yet good. Vincent was the first to go while Finch and Smith were securing them from behind. Although Tom had put the surveillance cameras on a look in the stairwell because Mr. Chandler had told them that the signal would be monitored from somewhere else in the States as well, they couldn't exclude meeting some of the guards right here. That was where Vincent was of use.  
It was almost too easy to go up through the sewers that was directly connected to the basement because for the water cooling of the two levels of servers. And as they reached they reached the first level of those who unofficially belonged to Muirfield, there seemed to be no one in the hall. However they had to get further upstairs. Vincent was relieved that J.T. didn't come with them, because him being nervous would have made him even more tensed up. Tom on the contrary seemed to have fun, being in a threatening situation like this. Of course the fact that he did smell of pot might be an explanation for that behavior. Vincent hadn't said anything and the agents hadn't asked but something told him that Tom knew exactly that his colleague's friend gave him a knowing glance, which he commented with an amused grin. At least someone he apparently didn't have to worry about.  
Proceeding further Vincent had a bad feeling because of them having to stay radio silent. Right now he would have wanted to know what was going on in Mr. Chandler's office. Although they were in the advantage, because surprise was on their side, he didn't trust in that. So many things had happened, that he wasn't positive until all of this was over.  
As he opened the door to the lower on of the two server levels he knew that he should have triggered an alarm, but Tom had disabled it. Also there was no one guarding the door to the stair well, which made him hesitate to step out into the corridor. Was this just coincident? Did the guards feel too safe? Or had they been warned?  
Vincent's eyes flashed golden yellow and he froze for a second, scanning the surroundings, harking into that what was silence for a human ear, but not for his. He could hear the servers still running, the power humming, the vents wheezing and persons walking. He relaxed a little as he noticed that the steps were slow, almost like strolling. They were on their round. Two men talking to each other.  
From what Mr. Chandler had told that wasn't supposed to be. The guards should go on single rounds, but apparently boredom had made them break this order.  
Vincent gestured a fist behind him, telling Finch and Smith to stop and from what he heard one of them grabbed Tom so that he would wait as well. Then he slid through the opening, cautiously placing his hands that were already warping onto the door so that it closed soundlessly

Despite his shoes Vincent didn't make any sound as he sneaked stealthily towards the corner behind with the both men were moving towards him. Not until then as he pressed himself right next to it against the wall he noticed that he was in perfect symbiosis with his beast-self. He was fully changed now and yet in absolute control over his body. Why this was so easy all of the sudden he couldn't explain, but somehow he didn't care. Concentrating on the steps approaching, Vincent breathed calmly yet lowly, waiting for the exact moment when the two men - one smaller, slightly overweight and one taller than him and muscular - would come around that corner.  
The Beast swung around simultaneously to the pace of the guards, smacking the smaller one against the wall and taking him out, gripping the bigger ones throat, which instinctively brought his hands up, trying to pull away the claws that tried to suffocated him. The difficulty was not to kill them, because it would have been so much easier and so much safer. Vincent advantage was that he scared the hell out of them, but he had been too gentle, because the smaller one got up, dazed but conscious. Knowing that he had to be quick the Beast went for a head-butt against the big one, not taking him out but dazing him as well. Just in that moment when the small one realized what he just saw and wanted to run off terrified. Vincent was quicker blocking the way as the guy had round his balance and turned. He snarled at him, making the poor man squeal, turn around and spurt right against the wall, knocking himself out.  
Now he had to get to be big one who was blinking away the stars he definitely did see, but also he could see Vincent coming and swung a punch. Luckily he hadn't thought of calling in this incident, still there were steps coming from down the corridor where the stairwell was. The Beast countered the hit like he had been waiting on it for hours, digging his claws into the man's forearm as he pushed open his defense and dug the claws of his right hand into the guy's side, making him gasp.  
Not to kill him was so difficult and the Agents were coming along with Tom, who wouldn't be prepared on seeing Vincent in full beast mode. There was no other choice than to smack the big guy's head against the wall and try not to be too harsh about it. So when he pulled back both his hands, the man followed his first instinct to protect his injury, giving Vincent the chance to follow his plan and his opponent sunk to the ground with a concussion, but without broken bones, like a shattered spine. Breathing steadily, just like his pulse.  
Vincent inhaled deeply composing himself, looking at both the man he more or less had taken down without harming them too much. Still inhaling the air he was slowly changing back as the both Agents and Tom came closer. His eyes were still yellow when he looked at them and of course there was blood on the fingers of his right hand.  
The three arrivals stared back at him and Vincent exhaled calmly, gesturing that both knock-outs should be restrained. Smith nodded and followed his suggestion.

Vincent could sense it, how he fully went back into his human form, even his eyes. It was this stinging, prickling feeling, like ants crawling beneath his skin, and now they went back to sleep. This time without him being scared, worried, or tense. This time he felt fine. He had been in control. Right from the beginning. He had been able to restrain the Beast and compose him when the logical thread had been over. Honestly Vincent felt more than fine, more than relieved. What he felt came close to redemption.  
"I should do less pot", Tom stated, still staring at him as if he had seen a comic hero jump into the real world.  
"You probably should", Vincent simply nodded and turned around, harking into the corridor, because there were still two other guards making their round.  
However these weren't their targets, because their group's task was to retrieve and save the data that was slumbering on these servers. Again Vincent was going ahead to get secure the area close to the door that led inside. Tom was directly behind him, starting to hack the electronic lock.  
Hopefully the other squat would take out the remaining guards before they noticed anything or came here. From what his ears told Vincent everything went according to plan. And when Smith and Finch closed up, Tom already had decoded the door. As he wanted to enter, he found Vincent's hand on his chest, shoving him backwards. It would be him opening that door and stepping inside first, because if there was someone or something waiting he would be the one with the best chances to dodge.  
His senses told him that there was nothing but the servers. The air behind that door was slightly warmer and smelled of electricity, metal and plastic. There was no sign of a life form behind this door, but that didn't mean that there was a security system they weren't aware of. Vincent crouched slightly as his hand gripped the knob. A little twitch of his wrist and the door opened into his direction. Nothing happened and all he saw was a large dark room full of blinking blue, red and green lights. Quickly his eyes adapted and in fact there was nothing more than racks full of computers.  
Cautiously he took a step, listening, looking. Vincent knew that he could trust his instinct blindly and he straightened up.  
"Clear", he said calmly. "But check the switch for the lights first. It sounds strange."  
Smith whose hand automatically had aimed for the switch directly next to the door froze in his movement. Vincent turned around.  
"It's the one next to your right foot", he pointed and the young agent looked down, his face pale.  
He moved his foot and light flooded the hall.  
"A booby-trap?" Finch commented in surprise and took her partner's hand to push it down and away from the switch. "How did you know?"  
Vincent simply tipped at his nose and his ear.  
"No electricity and C4", was his answer. "And in case nothing helps a manual bomb still does."  
"Fucking Muirfield", Tom gave his five cent and stepped next to him. "Okay Superman, go forth. I don't want to walk into a tripping hazard."

There were no more other traps in this level and from the sounds around him Vincent could tell that everything went exactly as planned. He wasn't used to this at all. Every time when he was involved in something as important and life changing as this there had been at least disturbances. Not this time. So he left Tom where he was: working eagerly on getting all the data downloaded - and Vincent knew that J.T.'s friend would copy the data to a second server as well on which only they would have access on - just in case.  
Finch and Smith waited for him at the elevator and the three of them got further up, to meet Catherine's father and sister for a second time today. Silently Vincent only wanted to get back to her, but if they were lucky they might have much more time when things here were settled.  
With a well-known Bing the doors of the elevator opened and everything was absolutely not as expected, because it was normal. There had been no Muirfield attack, no chaos, nor blood, no dead people. In fact the corridor which lead to the glass double portal which was the foyer of Mr. Chandler's office was close to the description "untouched". The woman sitting at the desk gestured to the right and the both agent followed instantly. Vincent looked at her and apart from the fact that her pulse slightly heightened as she saw and smiled at him there was nothing suspicious about that.  
Could this really be it? Could it possibly be that easy? Had they been so quick and lucky to pull this stunt without Muirfield even knowing? Vincent heightened his senses, well aware that doing this his eyes would change their color, but he needed to be sure, he couldn't risk and incident now. Catherine needed her family and he needed his. He expected everything: a helicopter appearing out of nowhere and opening fire, to smell more explosives, anything. He couldn't believe that this was just it.  
"The emitter to disturb any wireless connection is perfectly setup", a cop reported to Bishop. "If there is any explosive left he haven't found hey it cannot detonate by remote."  
"Good job", Catherine's boss nodded and the man left, passing the FBI agents and Vincent.  
Before their eyes met Vincent focused and breathed out. Again nothing suspicious. He tried to compose himself, but there was no way for him to relax. All heartbeats seemed were lightly heightened which was absolutely normal being in a situation like this.  
Bishop lifted his hand as he stood there alone with Tess and the two agents stopped as did Vincent. He was too alerted to give them the privacy the Captain had asked for and there was no way shutting only the two of them out.  
"What is so important that it can't wait until later?" he wanted to know and in his voice resonated worry as well as a pinch of annoyance.  
"I'm handing in my resignation tomorrow", she said calmly, though her heart was speeding up quickly. "I just wanted you to know that, because I expect you to accept it without any discussion."

Vincent swallowed dryly and he tried not to listen and further to this conversation. Turning around he focused on harking into the other rooms to the air around the building, the other levels, as far as his hearing could reach.  
"And that is why you tell me this right now and right here?" Bishop was more than appalled now; this was personal.  
"Because you cannot make a scene her, I'm sorry", Tess gave back and she really was, Vincent could literally sense it. "The FBI made me an offer, the same offer as Cat and I know that she's going to take it because she wants to take these people down like nothing else. She's my partner. Where she goes I'll go."  
The pause between her words and him not responding was a little bit too long, and told Vincent too much. They probably were having or had an affair.  
"I mean it's the best for us too, right?" Tess continued and shook her head. "You won't be my boss anymore. We won't see each other every day. So you can finally decide what you want. I just know that I have to … redeem myself."  
His answer was nothing but a nod, pressing his lips shut and Tess obviously knew that there would be no words coming from him. So she breathed deeply and left.  
The agents waited for Bishop to call them over and understandably - at least for Vincent - he needed a moment to compose himself.  
"Vincent", Heather whispered almost inaudibly, not so much for him.  
She was standing at the end of the corridor and gestured towards him to come over and he did. Still his senses were tense, still there was nothing that he could possibly be worrying over, apart from the fact that there was nothing to worry about.  
"Everything okay?" Vincent asked as Heather closed the door behind him, and he caught himself hoping for a second that she would pull a knife on him or something because this peace was just disturbing.  
Then of course he noticed Mr. Chandler and he almost expected the man to threaten him with either words or weapons.  
"Mr. Keller", Catherine's father said, making him feel like he was the defendant at court. "You know as much as me that this moment of … victory won't last long. Maybe our war with Muirfield just has started and even I don't know what they will be willing to do to swipe their dash clean of this."  
"Dad", Heather wanted to either calm him or herself down as she stepped next to her father, placing her hand on his upper arm.  
"Heather told me that my … late wife has asked you to protect Cat", the man continued after giving a brief assuring glance to her. "And now I have to ask you to expand this request on my whole family, as you are now a part of it."  
Vincent had no idea where this was heading, but he damn sure didn't feel any good about it, even though the last words were again too good to be true even though they had a strange pulling weight on them.

There was something about Mr. Chandler's choice of words that made Vincent worry, like this man would become the ugly surprise he was waiting for the whole time.  
"Because I have offered the FBI my full cooperation, hoping that Muirfield will go for me first and not my daughters, even though the likelihood is low", the man wrapped his arm around Heather and pulled her close. "And I know that my girls will not allow me to put myself in the line of fire. But somehow I need to redeem myself for all of this."  
"Mr. Chandler, I would suggest that you step away from the window, just in case", Vincent spoke and Heather became instantly nervous, shoving her Dad away from the outer lines of the building.  
"Can I call you Vincent?" Mr. Chandler asked. "It seems more appropriate."  
The answer was an insecure nod.  
"I know you want to get back to your daughter", he continued. "I must admit that it's quite a thought to get used to that I'm becoming a grandfather. However I know that she probably already had chosen to work with the FBI, maybe even because she can tell that I will offer myself as pawn for Muirfield. They will put me in protective custody and then in witness protection and Brooke will come with me. But that will make it very difficult for my daughters to reach me. So now you will understand why I am asking you this, Vincent."  
"Sir," Catherine's boyfriend answered and straightened up a bit, "know that I will do everything to keep Catherine"- he looked at her sister - "and Heather safe."  
"I know", Mr. Chandler answered and smiled slightly. "And I know that you already have. More than one time."  
Then he breathed in deeply, just to say, "Let's just hope that we will find a way to bring down Muirfield quickly so that we can…."  
There was a sound of glass cracking and suddenly the wind wined through the building, like someone had opened a window. Followed by another more blunt hitting sound. The only problem there was: in a height like this buildings had no windows one could open.  
It was beyond reflex, maybe even beyond instinct, the word that could fit it was rather precognition. Despite the situation he had been in, something inside him still had been wide awake and just acted even before he consciously had been aware of the noise that bullet created when it sliced through the air. The sound of the actual shot followed later, typical like a high speed marksman rifle. Yet that was unimportant, because that moment when the bullet pierced through that glass the target already had been down and the second sound was the bullet getting stuck in the office door. Vincent had grabbed them both not really knowing what he was doing when he pulled Heather and her father down to the ground. He was that fast that both weren't even shrieking, simply found themselves on the floor.  
As a cop ripped open the door there wasn't another shot and soon after the room was filled with police officers and FBI. An ambulance was called.

Three days later there was a burial and right next to Vanessa Chandler's unofficially empty grave there was let down another coffin. There were many mourners attending Mr. Chandler's funeral, even though there had been no big obituary in the papers. Catherine and Heather sided her step-mother who hid her face behind a black veil that was hanging down from her large head that shielded her from the sun and drowned her in shadow. Not so much the Chandler sisters who were mourning openly.  
Directly behind them were Tess and Evan standing, the latter still had his arm in a strap. Further down the graveyard police cars stopping some journalists from disturbing the mourners. There were no interruptions.  
Of course the three women had to attempt the dinner later on the day but no one was having bad thoughts about them leaving early. No one was frowning when they were told that Brooke would be leaving New York, without any further information to where to. No one was wondering about Heather founding an own company, because they figured that this was what she was trying to distract herself from the loss with her father's heritage and no one was really surprised as they learned that Catherine was leaving the NYPD to join the FBI.  
What they didn't know was where Brooke, Catherine and Heather were headed to after they left the funeral feast, or that the car which brought them back home officially was empty apart from the driver. No one suspected the three of them to sit on the back seat of Tess's car, with Evan on the shotgun, who drove in a strange route to an old building that once had been a restaurant. She steered the car into the back court of the building right into its delivery space and the gate was rolled down by no one else but J.T.  
"Right about time", he commented as Heather stormed out of the car and right into Tom's arms who was standing next to her.  
"Indeed", Mr. Chandler smiled, who looked really strange wearing something else than a suit - namely a jeans and a pullover, and stepped towards the car to give his wife a hand with getting out of that car.  
Brooke smiled radiantly at him and her make-up - to no surprise - wasn't smeared at all. She had to cover the fact that she couldn't mourn about something that hadn't happened. That bullet came quite too handy to let that opportunity go.  
"Hey", Vincent said softly, already standing at the other side of the car and opening its door for Catherine and all she did was replying in the same way: "Hey."  
"So who's in for a farewell party?" Tom asked out loud and Heather jumped making happy noises, with her father and Brooke following them into the building.  
Vincent wrapped his arm around Catherine as they both crossed the space more slowly, while Tess caught up to J.T. whispering something towards him, that Cat didn't catch and Vincent chose not to. Evan however didn't move, which made them stop.  
"I think I'm going to head home, I'm not really in the right mood"; he said.

Catherine peeled herself out of Vincent's arm and stepped towards her friend to take the hand that wasn't strapped up.  
"You don't have to stay", she said smiling sympathetically. "I know we haven't heard from Kara, but we haven't heard from Connor and Alex either. I know that they are fine. Are you going to be okay? How are you getting home?"  
Evan exhaled and reached behind his neck to open the strap.  
"Didn't the doctor say…", she wanted to protest.  
"I am a doctor, Cat", he smiled back at her. "I'll walk further down the road and get a cab. I just … want to continue packing things up."  
"You know that this is your farewell party as well", Vincent made a step towards them and received a smile and nod as an answer: "Yes. I know that you want to say goodbye to me as well, but I don't know when I am leaving, so there will be some time for that."  
Catherine got on her tiptoes and placed one hand on Evan's cheek to give him a kiss on the other one.  
"Take care", she said to him, "and don't you dare leaving without saying goodbye. I'm with the FBI. I'll hunt you down and make you regret it."  
"Yes, Ma'am", Evans weary smile almost turned into a grin and then he looked at Vincent once more: "I know that you will protect her, so I will not tell you to do that."  
"Hey, I thought this wasn't a goodbye", Cat punched him gently against his uninjured arm and made Evan's smile more real.  
"She needs to smile more", he continued talking to Vincent.  
"I agree", was his answer.  
"See you around", Evan responded and brushed his thumb across Cat's cheek before he kissed her forehead.  
Although she had expected it, there wasn't another word coming from him as he turned around and headed for the door next to the gate. Vincent and her watched him leave silently and he waited for Evan to be further away, until he spoke, wrapping his arms around her.  
"Why did you lie to him?" he wanted to know as his chin met her temple and she leaned backwards. "About that we haven't heard of Connor and Alex."  
"Because sometimes the truth we know isn't the actual truth", she answered cryptically. "Just because we know that Connor and Alex are fine, being somewhere in witness protection, doesn't meant that Kara isn't."  
"How can you be so sure?" Vincent asked her.  
"I knew you weren't gone", Catherine answered and turned around to face him. "I felt that you still were with me. If I hadn't I … I couldn't have breathed, couldn't have lived. I knew you were still alive because my own heart was still beating."  
She could tell by his glance that he didn't understand. He wasn't able to connect this with Kara and Evan and apart from that her words were blowing his thoughts away like a storm fallen leaves.

Vincent's hands framed her face as his eyes sunk into hers just one moment before he kissed her and her mouth melted into his. Time faded around them and they felt free and weightless like every time. He pulled her closer the moment she moved towards him, bringing up her own hands that loved to touch his face so much.  
"Are you guys coming?" Heather shouted from the inside and they broke their kiss with a smile.  
It really was different now. Everything was different now. Before the funeral they had been going to the Salty Dawg with still was opened. Not so much at night. Going back there, where everything had begun had created an odd, almost eerily feeling. Vincent had sensed something beneath the gravel or the parking lot. Right there where Vanessa officially had died. The earth had been moved. So they had returned the following night and dug up a big chest that they had opened instantly. And there they were: all her notes, her computer, discs, hard drives everything. Including the cure for Vincent.  
They had brought everything back with them and Tom had brought everything onto their own server, which was hidden in the warehouse of this place, before they gave the intelligence to the FBI. Alongside with the information that Mr. Chandler had provided they now were able to put all the remaining pieces together. Sooner or later they would be able to see a pattern and to find more of the branches. And now with Muirfield believing that Catherine's father had gone and their intelligence was protected, they were now working on retrieving their accounts. Little did they know that some of the accounts had been emptied by Tom, who had created new untraceable one's providing Catherine's family - as in whole family - with enough money for them to vanish into thin air and yet to survive. Which was what her father and Brooke were about to do.  
Sooner or later Muirfield would realize that they couldn't retrieve their money and had to accept that they had lost a huge amount of their finances. Muirfield was much weaker now and the FBI was on their trail without them realizing. They would bring them down and Catherine and Vincent would be a part of them responsible for this.  
She pulled his face back towards hers, kissing him more passionately now and he had nothing against that. He only stopped smiling as she dragged her hands down his chest.  
"We have guests, you know", he whispered against her mouth.  
"Yes, I am aware of that", Catherine chuckled, playing with the rim of his shirt. "There's just a whole month to catch up."  
Vincent pressed his lips together and nodded.  
"Well your Dad is leaving tonight, so…", he answered.  
"So, let's go", she suddenly took his hand and dragged him along with her through the door that lead inside.

Joining the others in the biggest room of this place which once had been the serving and dining area of the restaurant the men who couldn't have joined them on the fake funeral had done their best to create an celebratory atmosphere under Sarah's supervision. Apart from the pizza boxes and the beer bottles and the fact that the beamer still was showing baseball. It was a male paradise. They clunk glasses with non-alcoholic drinks - because two of them weren't allowed to, one had to drive and two others would get onto a plane later on - and smiled at each other.  
This was it. This was what redemption felt like the disintegration of the tension they had to handle. Some of them only weeks, others months and of course those who had lived for years like that. Of course all of them Catherine, Vincent, Tess, J.T., Sarah, Tom, Heather, Brooke and Mr. Chandler knew that this wouldn't be over until the last member of Muirfield was either dead or imprisoned. Yet the odds at least to seemed more balanced as before.  
Still they hadn't gathered to celebrate this, but to say goodbye to Mr. Chandler and his wife, who would fly to an Caribbean island where their new identities would own a little hotel, which was perfect for the Chandler sisters to spend their holidays, and of course a lot of FBI agents who needed some relaxing time.  
As for Catherine J.T. had managed to recreate the serum that she needed to inject herself every day so that her body wouldn't reject the fetus. They had decided to keep it and silently she prayed that everything would be okay with him or her, that her child actually could be normal. She looked down as Vincent placed his hand above hers which had unconsciously had moved to her stomach again.  
"Do you already have a name?" Heather blurted out in excitement and made Vincent smirk in embarrassment.  
"Well, we haven't talked about it yet", Cat smiled in a way that didn't only lighten up his face. "But I thought that if it's a girl, we might call her Vanessa", she looked at Vincent and he smiled softly in agreement.  
Catherine continued to look at him, because she needed to know what he thought of what she just said. "And it it's a boy I'd like William Michael."  
"I can live with that", Vincent answered and his voice was more than hoarse and she quickly kissed him.  
The cure that Vanessa had worked on for some time actually could work. J.T. didn't see himself as an expert on that, but Cat's mother had been. However Vincent had chosen against it. At least until now. There was no need for him to be cured at the moment. If their child would be born with corrupted DNA he would have the possibility to help him or her. And apart from that: this was who he was now. He had accepted that and this was his own personal redemption, because since in that the beast and him were not only a team: they were one.

As he had gotten the text it had been in the middle of the night and it had been an unknown sender. The content of that message had been nothing more than an address. Somewhere in New Jersey. Without a name. Yet, since there was nothing that was keeping him back Evan had gotten in his car and started driving, leaving half of the boxes in his apartment unfilled and despite his arching arm. There had been no reason for him to hope, and he still did, all the way driving to that unknown place. Catherine's voice and words were his solely entourage.  
Driving down that road without knowing what to expect was actually just the same he felt when waking up each morning after his release from the hospital.  
Evan had no idea where he was heading to. Not just right now, but in general as well. He had an idea what to expect from life, what he should expect, but no idea what he really wanted from it. All he knew was that he couldn't stay in New York, although he was aware of that Cat needed him as a friend. Yet right now he couldn't cope with the memories. Evan was perfectly aware that he allowed history to repeat itself, that he was running away once again. Maybe someday he would return, and join Cat and Tess with the FBI. He didn't actually believe this.  
As he steered his car down the highway onto a country lane Evan doubted that he was going into the right direction, but his GPS was sending him down this road. There were barely lights siding the lane and only in die distance the night sky seemed to be lit up by a huge property.  
"It's not her, it's not her", he murmured repeatedly, nervously drumming his thumbs against the wheel, and did his best to drive slowly.  
Approaching the building Evan was able to see a big wall surrounding what seemed to be a manor with some side buildings; and the lights came from the spotlights all around. Still there was no shield or sign to tell him were exactly he was heading to, apart from the double portal to which the gravel road lead. And right there he saw something: a figure dressed in dark clothes, standing in front of the double portal, apparently freezing.  
Evan stopped the car and got out, without turning off the engine or switching out the headlight, trying to be sure about what his eyes showed him. Right then as he made his first step towards that person, she turned around.  
"Kara?" he heard his own voice ask hoarsely and though this woman looked like her he still didn't dare to trust this picture.  
Not even when she walked up to him.  
"I heard you have decided to run", she said, before she made the last two steps that closed the distance between them. "Let me run with you", Kara added with a much weaker voice and all Evan did for answering to her was enfolding her face with his hands and give her a glimpse of a smile before he kissed her and pulled her close.

End.


End file.
